Begin Again
by Mrskroy
Summary: Sookie Stackhouse disappeared from Bon Temps almost four years ago, with only a few knowing the true reason why. Now she returns to restart life in the small town, but how long can she keep her secret from those she abandoned years ago? Rated M for future content. (A/H A/U OOC) ***Now Complete***
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Here's the start of story number 2! I really wanted to finish ATLU before cracking into this one, but the story ideas wouldn't leave me alone :-) I own nothing True Blood or Southern Vampire Mysteries related. Enjoy!**

* * *

"You sure you want to do this, Sook?" Tara Thornton asked for the fifth time that day, pausing after she lifted the last box from the ground into the U-Haul trailer. She crossed her arms over her chest as she leaned against the trailer, knowing eyes watching as her best friend rolled her eyes at her. "I'm serious, Stackhouse. As much as we want you back, this could seriously blow up in your face. Badly."

Sookie Stackhouse let out a laugh, bushing fly-away strands of her blonde hair out of her face as she looked at her face. "Now, Tara-Mae…would I really ask you to fly out here and help me drive over twelve hours, just to say that I changed my mind?" she asked as she pulled down the door to the trailer, wiping away sweat that had begun to bead on her forehead. "I promised Gran before she died that I would finish my degree…and I did. I want to go home, Tara. I _need_ to go home. Having you, Gran and Jason visit these past few years was nice…but it's time that I put my foot down and go home."

Tara sighed as she wrapped her arms around her friend, hugging her close as she thought about what Sookie had just said. "Well…Bon Temps has certainly missed you, Sook; especially your dork of a brother. Idiot was so excited about my flight yesterday, that he woke me up by bouncing on the bed. I fell off and damn near hit my head on the night stand. He's lucky I didn't get a concussion and forget that I'd already agreed to marry his sorry ass," Tara said with a laugh, smiling widely as she heard Sookie snort loudly. "Alright…let's hit the road before Jase starts blowing up my phone again."

Sookie nodded as Tara climbed into the passenger seat of Sookie's SUV, allowing Sookie a few moments to say goodbye to her home of almost four years. She'd already handed the keys over to her realtor that morning, knowing that the new owners were super excited to move in. She also knew that she was selling it for well below what she could have gotten for it, but the newlyweds had instantly charmed her. Sookie hoped they would have as many, if not more, good memories of the brownstone. She got into the driver's seat and started the car, pausing a moment to look into the back seat. While Chicago had given her many memories, Bon Temps had given her the greatest gift that she ever could have asked for. Smiling widely as she watched the blond toddler nap in his car seat, she turned back to Tara. "Let's go home."

* * *

Fifteen hours and many pit stops later, the SUV pulled into the driveway on Hummingbird Lane. Sookie grinned as she saw the truck in the yard and the front door wide open, knowing that her older brother was inside waiting.

Jason Stackhouse let out a whoop of excitement as he ran out of the house, barely giving Sookie a chance to get out of the car before he swept her into his arms and swung her around. "There's my girl!" he said with a laugh, hugging his sister tight. "About damn time you came home," he murmured with a smile, pressing a kiss to Sookie's forehead as he placed her back on her feet.

Tara got out of the car and unhooked Jacob from his car seat, rolling her eyes as Jason let out another whoop and swiped the toddler from her arms. "Two days since he last saw me, yet I get passed over like chopped liver," she joked with a small sigh, letting out a laugh as Jason turned around to give her a toe-curling kiss. "That's more like it, Stackhouse. Now…You got the breakfast food going in there?" she asked as she swung an arm around Sookie's waist, starting to walk towards the house as Jason nodded. "And the champagne for the mimosas is chilling?" she adding, letting out a sigh as Jason shook his head with a sheepish grin. "Let me guess…of all the things on the list, you forgot the booze." She turned to go back down the porch steps towards Jason's truck, stopping when she felt Sookie's hand on her shoulder.

"I can go, Tara. You and Jason can get Jacob settled in the house," Sookie said, holding up a hand when she saw Tara start to protest. "It's the Bon Temps' Piggly-Wiggly. I think I can handle that on my own," she said with a smile, holding out a hand for Jason's keys. "What's the worst that could happen?"

* * *

Twenty minutes later, Sookie found herself regretting those words. Apparently _everyone_ in Bon Temps decided to go shopping at 9am on a Sunday, causing her to run into many familiar faces. She'd finally pried herself away from Maxine Fortenberry and was reaching for a bottle of Moet, when a familiar voice behind her had her freezing in place.

"Well, look at what the cat dragged in. The prodigal daughter has returned, it seems," Pamela Northman drawled out, crossing her arms over her chest as she watched the shorter blonde turn around. "Almost four years of unanswered calls and emails, and I have to find out from Big Max in the chip aisle that you're back? I wasn't aware that you'd turned into a cold-hearted bitch, Sookie. If I wasn't so angry, I'd be proud."

Sookie winced at Pam's words, but knew everything that she said was true. She, Pam and Tara had been inseparable growing up…and Sookie had disappeared without giving Pam any explanation. There had been many nights where she'd considered answering the missed calls and emails from her friend, but fear of telling the truth had kept Sookie from ever doing it. "What the hell were you doing in the chip aisle, Pam? Did Salome finally release you from that hellish diet she had you on?" Sookie asked with a raised eyebrow, unable to hold back tears as her friend pulled her into a big hug.

"God damnit, Stackhouse. I didn't wear waterproof mascara today," Pam said with a sniff, holding onto Sookie for a few moments more before letting her go. "I really am pissed at you, Sookie," she said with a laugh, wiping at the tears that started to fall. "I'm sorry we weren't in town for Gran's funeral. We really wanted to be there."

Sookie shook her head, wiping at her own tears. "S'okay, Pam. I really appreciated the flowers that y'all sent," she said, remembering the gorgeous arrangement that had shown up from the Northman family. "And I'm sorry that I never called you to tell you I was okay. I…I just needed to get away from everything," she added, giving her friend a small smile. "I promise I'll tell you everything soon," she murmured, grabbing a bottle of champagne from the shelf.

It was Pam's turn to raise a brow. "If I didn't have a big meeting to get to, I'd pry for more details right now. Tell you what, Sook. Tara and I have been talking about going to this club in Shreveport on Tuesday night. It's that old biker bar that got bought a few years back. New owners completely redid it and are having a big grand opening that night," she said to Sookie, gears already turning in her head as she began to plot.

"Who the hell has an opening on a Tuesday night? And since when are you and Tara so buddy-buddy?" Sookie asked with a raised brow, turning her head to look at Pam. While the three had been inseparable, Pam and Tara hadn't really gotten along if Sookie wasn't around. "Anyways…that's my birthday and I'm pretty sure Tara and Jason have something planned."

Pam rolled her eyes with a little laugh. "Lots of things have changed since you left, Sook. Tara and I have made a truce to be nice to each other, especially when girl talk is needed. As for Tuesday, I'm aware that it's your birthday. And since you robbed me of taking you out on your twenty-first, I get to drag you out for your twenty-second," Pam said with a grin, hearing Sookie's groan of defeat. "I'll send you the address later. Meet there at 8?"

Sookie could do nothing else but nod, knowing after fifteen years of experience that there was no use trying to reason with Pamela Jane Northman. "Do me a favor, Pam? I'm not sure where he is, but don't tell Eric I'm back yet. I'll reach out to him when I'm ready," she said with a sad smile, giving her friend another hug as her phone beeped to notify her of a new text. "And that'll be Thing One and Thing Two wondering where I am with the booze," she said with a laugh, holding up the bottle in her hand. "I'll see you Tuesday, Pam. Promise." Sookie turned and made her way the checkout line, not noticing the mischievous grin on Pam's face. For the second time that day, Sookie found herself muttering "What's the worst that could happen?"

* * *

Sookie pulled into the club parking lot Tuesday night, shooting a glare at Tara as she turned off the car. "You're certain that Jason was the right person to baby-sit Jacob? I'd like to remind you that this is the same person who tried to get me to play in traffic when I was Jacob's age." She got out of the car and smoothed down her red and white sundress, throwing another glare Tara's way as she heard her friend continue to laugh. "I'm serious, Tara-Mae. Jason's like a danger magnet."

Tara playfully rolled her eyes as she shut her door, slipping her ID and credit card into her front pocket. "Relax, Sook. Jason's been looking forward to time with the little man since Sunday. Besides…it's your birthday! When's the last time you got out of the house for the night?" Tara asked as she looped her arm in Sookie's, leading the blonde towards the door. "Your son is in good hands, you look smokin' hot, _and_ Pam managed to get us on some VIP list for tonight. You deserve tonight!" She said with a grin as the bouncer let them in, the sound of loud music washing over them as soon as they walked inside.

Sookie looked around the packed club, taking in the sight of the red and black décor. Anywhere else it would have seemed garish and tacky, but the owners somehow managed to make it look tasteful. "Wonder whose fantasy this is," she said loudly to Tara, making a mention to the club name that she had seen outside. "Why don't you go find Pam. I'll go get us some drinks."

Tara nodded, knowing that Pam was upstairs in the VIP lounge. "She said that she already opened a tab, so you should be able to order and go pretty quick," she told Sookie, then made her way to the stairwell of the lounge. Once she reached Pam she noticed that she had a good view of the bar area, something that caused Tara to nearly choke on her own spit. "Pam…what did you do?" Tara asked as she took in the sight of one of the bartenders, nearly fainting as she recognized the tall frame.

"What the hell is wrong with you, Tara?" Pam asked as she saw the expression on Tara's face, her head turning to see what was making her so skittish. "Didn't I tell you that I own the bar with him? We flipped a coin. He tends bar for the first few hours, then we switch," she said, looking confused as Tara shoved her phone into her hands. Pam's eyes narrowed as she looked at the photo that was displayed on the phone, a brow shooting up in confusion. "What on earth is going on with you and why do you have my brother's baby photo on your phone?"

Tara shook her head as she took the phone back from Pam, swiping until she found another photo. "I know it's her story to tell, but tonight just bumped up the importance," Tara said, handing the phone back to Pam. "That boy on my phone isn't your brother."

Pam swore loudly when she saw the photo of Sookie and Jacob, her jaw dropping in disbelief as she looked between Tara and the bar down below. "Well…this is going to be awkward."

* * *

Sookie made her way through the throngs of people, parking herself on the first empty barstool that she could find. There were four bartenders running around trying to keep up with the opening night crowd, but Sookie knew that she could be in for a bit of a wait. She glanced down at her phone, letting out a sigh when she saw that there were no messages from Jason. While that was a good thing, since it meant that there were no emergencies, Sookie was having a hard time being away from Jacob. Tara was right, though. She needed this time out to unwind.

A crash from behind the bar tore Sookie from her thoughts, her head lifting to address the bartender that popped up in her peripheral vision. She opened her mouth to give her drink order, but something else slipped past as her eyes focused on the bartender in front of her. "Cheese and fucking rice," she breathed out in disbelief, finding her herself looking at a (somewhat older) carbon copy of her son's face. "Eric?" she managed to squeak out before her mind succumbed to darkness and she fainted dead away.

* * *

 **A/N: Sorry for a cliffhanger on the first chapter, but it seemed like a perfect place to end :-P Next chapter will most likely pick up with Eric, which should be a fun time ;-) Until next time! 3**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: I am so SO sorry for the delay in this! We went on vacation, where the internet was not as good as I thought it would be, and then both hubby and I got sick when we got home. Work also got super busy, which meant finding time to sit down and write was rough. But I promise I'm back! I kept re-reading the reviews from the first chapter to give me motivation to write when I got a moment, so I hope y'all like it! As always, I own nothing TB or SVM related. Enjoy!**

* * *

 _ **Flashback – 02/14/2011**_

" _C'mon, Sook! I skipped my last class and drove four hours to get here. Why aren't you down here waiting?!" Twenty-year-old Eric Northman stood in the entryway of the Stackhouse residence yelling up the stairs, grateful that Adele Stackhouse wasn't home at that moment. While Eric was easily a head and a half taller, he knew damn well that Gran would still give him hell for yelling in the house. After a few moments he let out a sigh and started up the stairs, his long legs easily climbing two stairs at a time. "I'm coming up, Stackhouse," he warned, looking over his shoulder as he moved. "If Gran comes home and catches me up here, I'm-." He stopped speaking as he made it to the doorway, the sight before him causing him to fumble his words. "What's going on?"_

 _Sookie Stackhouse's head snapped up when she heard Eric's voice, her hands going to cover her tear-stained face when she saw him in the doorway. "What are you doing here?! I texted you hours ago and said don't bother coming," she gasped out, wiping madly at her face. "We both know your best friend's younger sister is the_ last _person you want to spend tonight with," she added before covering her face again, shielding the new wave of tears from Eric's view._

 _Eric was torn. Part of his brain screamed at him to run from the crying female (nothing good ever came from a woman's tears, or so said Jason Stackhouse), but the other part was goading him to go and comfort the girl who had been part of his life for ten years. He also knew that sage advice from Sookie's older brother wasn't always as sage as Jason thought it was. "Hey, now," he said as he moved to the bed, wrapping his arms around Sookie and pulling her to him. "You mind telling me what's going on for real? I just drove back to Baton Rouge last night, Sookie. Why would I come back to Bon Temps today, if I didn't really mean to take you out? Also…I had to practically beg Gran to let me take you out on a school night. Would I have done that if I wasn't serious?" he asked with a small smirk, remembering the heated phone conversation with the Stackhouse matriarch._

 _Sookie couldn't help the snort that escaped as she buried her face against Eric's chest, trying to dampen down the butterflies in her stomach. Eric was Jason's best friend, though lord only knows how that pairing happened, which meant he had been another older brother while Sookie had been growing up. Gran had taken him in as one of her own whenever his parents were out of town, so Sookie had spent a lot of time around the older blond. Though she knew he would never view her as more than another little sister, Sookie's view of Eric had started to change over the past year…something that other people had started to notice. "Why are you going up against Gran, when we both know you're going to sneak off with Lorena Compton or Sophie Leclerq the second you're done with me. Surely their better company than some sixteen-year-old high schooler," she said with a sniff, then let out a gasp when Eric pulled her away from his chest._

 _"Who the hell has been feeding you that bullshit, Sook?" Eric asked, fire in his eyes as he looked down at Sookie. He had a sneaking suspicion of who had been running their mouth off, but he needed confirmation before he went off on the wrong person._

 _Sookie wiped at the tears on her face, her eyes filled with confusion as she looked at Eric. "Bill Compton overheard me talking with Tara about tonight. He said that I shouldn't get too excited, since his sister told him you had plans with her tonight. And that if you didn't see her, then you most likely would be seeing Sophie. Or both of them." Sookie wiped at more tears that refused to stop, thoroughly confused. It was no secret that Eric had been a ladies' man while at Bon Temps. Why was he getting so upset that she knew about his other plans?_

 _The hair on the back of Eric's neck bristled as Sookie spoke, a low growl leaving his lips as she confirmed his fears. Since the Northman family had relocated from Sweden to Bon Temps ten years ago, Bill Compton had been a thorn in Eric's side. Following Eric and Jason around like a puppy, Bill had turned into a bit of a sniveling asshole. Eric also knew that he carried a torch for Sookie, which would explain the Eric-bashing comments. "Haven't I taught you yet that nothing that comes out of his mouth ever has a grain of truth?" he asked as he pressed a kiss to her forehead, trying his best to ignore the jolt that shot through him as his lips came in contact with her skin. "Now…go put on something nicer than yesterday's sweatpants. I've got plans for you, Stackhouse, and you're going to make us late," he added, pressing another kiss to her forehead before quickly leaving the room._

 _Sookie sat there in stunned silence for a few moments, trying to process what had just happened. Letting out a soft squeal she jumped off her bed and dove into her closet, trying to locate the new dress that she had unnecessarily splurged on for that night. While she had a plethora of sundresses to choose from, she'd wanted to get something that Eric had never seen on her before. Even if this was just a 'taking the best friend's sister out because she's lonely' sort of thing, she wanted to surprise him. She quickly changed into the dress and did her hair and makeup, grabbing a sweater from her closet before nervously making her way downstairs._

 _Eric paced back and forth at the bottom of the stairwell, nervously chewing his bottom lip as he waited for Sookie to come downstairs. While he'd told Sookie of the conversation with Gran, he'd failed to mention the even more heated one he'd had with Jason. His best friend had been confused when Eric called for permission to take Sookie out, thinking that Eric was just planning on a usual hangout with Sookie. Once Eric had explained that he wanted to take the girl on a_ date _, Jason had flipped into full-on big brother mode. Eric felt his phone buzz in his pocket as he heard the sound of high heels coming down the stairs, glancing down at the incoming text with a grimace. "Settle down, Jase…I'm not going to hurt her," he grumbled to himself as he read the text from his friend, his head snapping up as he heard a soft cough. He drew in a shaky breath as he watched Sookie come down the last step, not moving a muscle as she stopped in front of him. "Christ on a crutch. I don't think I can take you out looking like that, Sookie," he murmured as he held a hand out to her, his eyes blazing slightly._

 _Sookie could feel her face heat up as she saw the look in Eric's eyes, giving him a nervous smile as she took his hand. "I-I'm not too overdressed, am I?" she asked as her eyes took in his jeans and a collared shirt, suddenly feeling very self-conscious. She hadn't asked where they were going for dinner, but had assumed that her trademark sundress would have been sufficient._

 _Eric shook his head as he gave Sookie's hand a squeeze, helping her into her sweater as he searched for the right words to reply with. "I don't think that I can handle other guys seeing how pretty you look right now," he finally answered softly, grinning widely as he saw color rush to her cheeks. Eric offered Sookie his arm, giving her a big smile as she wrapped her arm in his. "Let's get going before your brother shows up with his Benelli," Eric said with a wink, the sound of Sookie bursting into laughter music to his ears as he led her out to his truck._

* * *

 _Sookie let out a playful groan as Eric pulled into the parking lot of Merlotte's, turning her head to teasingly glare at him. "You sure know how to show a girl a good time," she said, delighted to hear his warm laughter as he came around to her side of the truck._

" _Only the best for my favorite girl," Eric answered with a wink, holding out a hand to help Sookie down from her seat. "It was either this or my house…where Dad and Pam would be hovering the entire time," he added, slinging an arm around her shoulders. A warm feeling spread through him as Sookie wrapped her arm around his waist and nestled into him, his hand rubbing lightly at her shoulder as they walked into the bar._

 _The chattering of the bar patrons quickly turned into a defining silence as all eyes fell on them, Eric holding Sookie a little bit closer as he watched their friends Hoyt Fortenberry and Lafayette Reynolds exchange glances and money. The problem with living in a small town was that everyone knew your business…sometimes before you even did. "Wanna go somewhere else?" Eric murmured against Sookie's hair, not wanting her to feel uncomfortable during their date._

 _Sookie shook her head and took Eric's hand in hers, leading him through the room to an empty table. "I spent two hours putting up those damn decorations yesterday. I want to enjoy them as much as I can," she answered with a determined look in her eye, nodding her head in greeting to her boss as she watched Sam Merlotte fill drink orders._

 _Eric inwardly groaned, mentally giving himself a smack. "I forgot that you worked yesterday. You sure you don't want to go someplace else, Sook?" he asked, trying to think of all the ways that he could bribe his father and younger sister to make themselves scarce._

 _Sookie shook her head with a laugh, reaching across the table to give Eric's hand a squeeze. "It's fine, Eric. Really." Conversation picked up again around them, allowing the couple to have a bit of privacy once more. After ordering food they fell into nervous conversation, both of them wondering when they'd lost the ability to speak around each other. "Remind me again how you and Jason became best friends?" Sookie asked after Eric had told her about something embarrassing that Jason had done a couple of weekends ago._

" _It's technically your fault," Eric said, grinning slightly when he saw Sookie's brow furrow in confusion. "My family had only been in Bon Temps for a couple of months or so, meaning Pam and I had only been at the elementary school for a couple of weeks. Some kids in my grade started picking on Pam during recess one day, poking fun at our heavy Swedish accent that we still had at the time. I started to make my way over, but you came flying out of nowhere and gave them a piece of your mind," he added, remembering vividly the fire that he had seen in the young girl's eyes. "Then they started giving_ you _a hard time about being an orphan, which caused Jason to run in like a bat out of hell and sucker punch JB du Rone in the stomach. Chaos ensued and I jumped in to help Jason. And then over a week-long detention, a friendship was born," Eric said with a grin, winking at Sookie. "You helped my sister, so I helped your brother. And now I'm stuck with him."_

 _Sookie let out a big laugh as she listened to Eric's words, the day that he spoke of still vivid in her memory as well. Pam stuck to Sookie and Tara like glue after that day, a friendship that Sookie had been grateful for over the years. "I don't think I ever thanked you for that," she started to say, then let out a laugh. "For both helping Jason then and for being his friend. Lord knows your level head has kept him_ mostly _out of trouble so far," she added with a grin, her breath catching in her throat when Eric lifted her hand to press a kiss to it. "What are we doing, Eric?" she finally asked softly, a faint blush coming to her cheeks as she looked at him across the table. "You're Jason's best friend…you can't seriously be interested in me."_

 _Eric smiled warmly, giving the hand he held a little squeeze. "Well…first we're going to get up and dance," he started, pausing when Sookie let out a small groan. "Can it, Stackhouse. I know there's no candles, but I'm going to get what I wish for," he said with a wink, standing up and pulling her over to the spot in front of the jukebox. "And once we're done dancing, I'm going to take you home," he said reluctantly, pulling her into his arms as the next song started to play. "Not because I_ want _to take you home, but because Gran made me swear that I'd have you home at a decent hour. As for us…I have it on good authority that Jason has his eyes on_ your _best friend, so we're even," he added with a wink, thoroughly enjoying the shocked expression on Sookie's face._

 _Sookie let out a sigh as she rested her head against Eric's chest, shutting out the soft murmurs of the patrons around them. She knew there would be talk, that there already was talk about their ages and how they practically had been raised as siblings, but she frankly didn't care. Adele Stackhouse didn't raise no fool, and Sookie was confident in what she wanted to happen between her and Eric. "And after you take me home? What does all of this mean for us?" she asked, pulling back a little to look up at Eric. The look in his eyes almost made her knees weak, so she was grateful that his arms had a good hold on her._

" _All of this means that I'm going to count the days until I get to see you again. Because I_ will _see you again, Sookie. I don't know how to explain it, but I've only had eyes for you for some time now," Eric nervously confessed, feeling the heat in his face as he looked down at Sookie._

 _Sookie was speechless for a few moments, unable to figure out how to respond. Her heart was beating loudly in her chest as she wrapped her arms around Eric's neck, pulling him down so that she could brush her lips against his cheek. "I think I like the sound of that," she whispered, smiling widely as she rested her head against his chest again._

 _The two swayed back and forth until the song ended, shyly holding hands as they paid their bill and said goodbye to those that milled around the bar. They were silent on the drive back to Sookie's house, with Sookie nestled against Eric's side as he drove. They both cursed the short drive between the bar and the house, knowing that their time together was almost over._

* * *

 _Eric helped Sookie down from the truck, holding her close as they made their way up the porch steps. "Looks like Gran is still up," he said with a small laugh, nodding at the porch light that was still illuminated. "I even got you home a few minutes earlier than I promised."_

 _Sookie smiled as she pulled away from him to open the door, letting out a gasp as her eyes fell on an object sitting on the hall table. "I almost forgot to give you this!" she said as she rushed in to grab it, nervously smiling at Eric as she handed him the wrapped item. "It-it's not much, but it's something that means a lot to me. I hope you like it."_

 _Eric tilted his head in confusion as he began to unwrap it, the wind almost knocked out of him as his eyes landed on the framed picture that Sookie had given him. It was from that past summer, when the group of them had been sunbathing in the backyard like they always did. He'd turned his head to say something to Sookie, who had been laying right next to him, but the sight of her had suddenly taken his breath away._ That _had been the moment when he'd realized that his feelings for Sookie had changed. Gran, having gotten a new camera phone earlier in the summer, had apparently captured the moment when Sookie had turned her head to look at him; both teens having the same look of awe and wonder on their faces. "I love it, Sook," Eric finally said, reaching out his free hand to brush a stray strand of hair behind her ear. "Thank you," he murmured, slowly dipping his head down to brush his lips against hers._

 _Sookie let out a small gasp as she felt Eric's lips on hers, closing her eyes as she moved into his arms and shyly returned his kiss. They stood like that for what felt a lifetime, gently exploring each other's lips, until the porch light flashing caused them to breathlessly break apart. Sookie blushed as she touched her fingers to her lips, a smile on her face as she looked up at Eric. "Thank you for dinner, Eric. Promise you'll text me when you get back to school, no matter how late?"_

 _Eric nodded, leaning down to give Sookie another brief kiss. "Promise. And like I said…I'll be counting the days until I see you again," he said with a grin, pulling her into a big hug. "Happy Valentine's Day, Sookie."_

 _Sookie hugged Eric back, then reluctantly stepped out of his arms as the porch light flashed again. "Happy Birthday, Eric."_

* * *

 _ **Present Day – 05/24/2016**_

Twenty-five-year-old Eric Northman didn't believe in ghosts, but he was fairly certain he might need to start. He'd noticed the blonde head come in the door minutes earlier as he was serving up a round of tequila shots, but instantly dismissed any crazy thoughts to the culmination of many sleepless nights. It didn't help that he'd decided to hold the opening on one of the few days out of the year that he usually holed up with his own bottle of tequila, but he'd hoped that _Fantasy_ would take his mind off the ghosts of his past.

Eric glanced up at the VIP area, furrowing his brow as he saw Pam talking animatedly with his best friend's fiancée. He'd briefly questioned Pam when she'd mentioned that Tara was bringing someone who wasn't Jason to the opening, but the arrival of a delivery truck had delayed any concrete answers from his sister. He'd noticed that she had been uncharacteristically happy at their staff meeting on Sunday, something that Pam refused to admit to or explain. He was determined to have a talk with his sister before going home that night. She was up to something, and he seriously needed to get to the bottom of it.

Eric turned his attention back to the bar as a small blonde situated herself on a stool, all of the air leaving his chest as his eyes fell on her. Ghosts. That had to be the answer. No way in hell was Sookie Stackhouse sitting at his bar, wearing a dress that had haunted his dreams for the past 1,429 days. He moved closer as the woman in question turned her head, feeling the glass in his hand slip as he visually confirmed that it _was_ her. Slightly older and curvier, but he could (and did) pick her out in any crowd.

Eric watched as Sookie turned her attention to him, watched as her face paled and her eyes grew wide. He almost laughed when he heard her utter a vulgar version of one of her token catchphrases, a chill going up his back when he heard her squeak out his name. He began to reach out to her, to further prove to himself that she was indeed real, only to watch her begin to fall off the stool in a dead faint.

"Sook!" Eric hurried past his confused staff members, throwing up the pass to make his way through the throng of people. He let out a sigh of relief when he realized that someone who had been standing behind Sookie had grabbed her before she'd fallen, knowing that the distance between the stool and the ground could have caused some serious damage. Eric silently nodded his thanks to the patron as he took a still unconscious Sookie in his arms, holding her close as he began to make his way to the back hallway. "Make sure drinks for that guy and his friends are on the house, Ginger," he murmured to the visibly shocked waitress as he moved past her, pausing to glance back over his shoulder. "Scratch that…put them on my sister's tab tonight," he added before shouldering open the door to his office.

* * *

"You saw her on Sunday, didn't you? That's why you were all sunshine and rainbows at the staff meeting. Why the hell didn't you tell me she was back?!"

"Because she asked me not to tell you, dumbass! I ran into her at the Piggly Wiggly. Said she wanted to reach out to you on her own."

"So you decided to bring her _here_? And since when do you go to the Piggly Wiggly? Ten bucks says you didn't tell her where you were taking her or why, which means she didn't even know that I was in the same fucking state as her! What the hell were you thinking, Pam? And you, Tara. Did you talk with Jason about this crazy plan? Because he sure as hell would've warned me…or her."

"Don't you go bringing me into this, Northman. Lord knows, this was all Pam's doing. I shouldn't have told her that Sook was coming back to town. Wait a second…are you telling me _Jason_ knew you were back?!"

Sookie let out a small groan as she heard the raised voices, squeezing her eyes shut in an attempt to wish that everything happening was just a dream that she would be able to wake up from. She slowly opened one eye, letting out another a small sigh and shutting it as the yelling continued. Well…the thought was nice while it lasted. "Would y'all just shut the hell up, please?" she finally murmured, fully opening her eyes once silence had fallen on the room.

"Well, I'm glad to see that everyone still gets along," Sookie added sarcastically as she sat up, settling back against the plush couch that she had been laying on. Her eyes scanned the room, her face paling when she settled on Eric. "Pam, Tara? Would you mind giving Eric and me some privacy?" She held up a hand when Tara started to object, her eyes narrowing when Tara continued to protest. "You're already on my shit list, Tara-Mae. Don't make me move you higher than Pam."

Tara exchanged a glance with Pam, then let out a sigh as she crossed the room to give Sookie a hug. "Pam knows," she whispered into Sookie's ear, giving her friend another hug as the blonde stiffened. "C'mon, Pam…how about you make me that drink you've been talking my ear off about," Tara suggested, pulling Pam out of the room before she could open her mouth to protest.

Sookie and Eric sat in silence after the office door shut, both trying to figure out what to say. "Pam didn't tell me that you worked here," Sookie started softly, her eyes taking in her surroundings. "Or that you owned it," she added as her eyes fell on the framed liquor license on the wall. "Congratulations."

Eric shook his head with a sigh as he leaned against his desk, crossing his arms over his chest in order to resist the urge to reach out to her. "Pam apparently has gotten a lot better at keeping secrets. She and I own the club together," he answered softly, licking his dry lips. "You look good, Sook."

Sookie couldn't help the faint blush that came to her cheeks, attempting to quell the butterflies that were coming alive in her stomach. She'd thought about this moment since the day she'd left Bon Temps, but had hoped to do it on her own terms. Though, considering the gossip mill the small town could be, she was quite surprised that he hadn't shown up at her house on Sunday. "So do you, Eric," she said with a nervous smile. "If I'd known that you were back in town, I would've given you a call…so that we could meet up somewhere more private to talk. I thought you were still in Boston."

Eric stiffened slightly, though he shouldn't have been surprised. Even after all they'd been through, he and Jason were still best friends. Of course the older Stackhouse would've kept Sookie apprised of his life. He just wished Jason had kept him more informed about Sookie. "I'm surprised Jason didn't tell you…or tell Tara, for that matter. He's the contractor that helped me whip this place into shape over the past few months."

It was Sookie's turn to stiffen and lick her dry lips. "Apparently Pam's not the only one who's learned to keep secrets," she said after a few moments of silence. To say she was confused would be putting things mildly. Last she'd heard, Eric was slowly making a name for himself in Boston. He'd gotten his MBA from Harvard and had quickly made the necessary contacts to become successful. "Why are you here, Eric? Shreveport doesn't exactly scream 'money maker' to me."

Eric froze at Sookie's question. What could he say that wouldn't sound the most clichéd? "Honestly? It felt time to be home…and I'd hoped you'd eventually feel the same way." Eric almost grimaced at the words that left his mouth, feeling like he was quoting some sort of Lifetime movie-of-the-week. "What made you come back?"

Sookie took a few moments to gather her words, trying to not let the full truth slip past her lips just yet. "Gran left me the house, since Jason has our parents' place. I promised to finish my last semester before coming back," she murmured, her heart hurting a little as she recalled her final conversation with her grandmother. "She also made me promise that I'd track you down once I got settled," she added, almost smiling as she remembered the small tongue-lashing she'd received.

Eric smiled sadly as he saw Sookie's eyes shine with unshed tears, finding some courage to push himself away from his desk and cross the room to her. "I hated that we weren't there," he started as he sat on the opposite end of the couch from Sookie, closing his eyes for a few moments. "Mother insisted that a trip to see my grandparents was absolutely necessary. We'd already been in Sweden for a few days when Jason called and I couldn't find any flights that would have gotten Pam and me home in time."

A shiver ran through Sookie's body as she processed the timeline that Eric gave her, almost laughing at how absurd life could be. She'd gotten a call from Jason when the pneumonia that Gran had caught had taken a turn for the worst, which had been a few days before her passing. Sookie briefly wondered if she had been in the airport at the same time as Eric, but also thanked her lucky stars that she hadn't run into him. Jacob had been playing off of his mother's stress and had been cranky the entire flight, so Sookie had been an absolute mess by the time she'd made it to the airport in Shreveport. A reunion at the airport definitely wouldn't have been ideal. "It's probably for the best that you weren't there," she said softly, but instantly regretted her words when she saw the hurt in his eyes. He obviously didn't know that she was referring to the fact that she'd had to hide Jacob from the entire town during the services for Gran. Lord only knows what Maxine Fortenberry would have done if she'd laid eyes on the toddler.

Eric's features hardened at Sookie's words, his hand gripping the couch arm in anger. "She was practically my Gran too, Sook. Or did you forget that when you up and left us all?" Eric watched Sookie's mouth open and close a few times as she groped for words, letting out a sigh as he ran a hand through his hair. "She had a minor heart attack after you left, Sookie. I was the one who found her," he said softly, recalling the day when he'd found Adele laying on the kitchen floor. "It was a couple of days after you left. No note, no phone call. We were all going out of our minds. The stress got to her."

Sookie couldn't help the tears that began to slide down her face. She remembered finally calling Gran once she'd gotten settled, recalled how strained the older woman had sounded on the phone. "I had no idea. Neither she or Jason ever said anything," she whispered, closing her eyes as she valiantly held back the sobs that threatened to break free. "I should have been there," she added, stiffening a little when she felt Eric's warm fingers brush at her fallen tears. "We need to talk, Eric," she said softly as she opened her eyes, barely holding back a gasp as she found herself looking into his piercing blue ones. "There's something I really need to tell you."

Eric opened his mouth to respond, but let out a stream of curses as he heard a knock on the door. "Hold that thought." He moved to the door and opened it, letting out a sigh as Ginger launched into a nervous and fast paced story about spilled drinks and a fight out by the bar. "Damnit, I need to go deal with this. I'm sorry, Sook. I'll be back as soon as I can," he threw over his shoulder, rushing out of the room.

Sookie wiped at her tears as she sat in the silent room, feeling almost lightheaded as she tried to figure out what to do. She really needed to tell Eric the truth about why she'd left, but she could barely think straight. Unable to think of anything else, she shot off a quick text to Tara and then did what she did best; she ran.

* * *

Eric finally made his way back to his office almost an hour later, as he opened the door and found the room empty. He shouldn't have been as surprised as he was, but he couldn't help it. He plopped down in the chair behind his desk, letting out another sigh as he ran a hand over his weary face. He raised an eyebrow as his eyes fell on a sheet of paper that he knew he hadn't left out, a small smile coming to his face as he saw the familiar handwriting.

 _Eric,_

 _I'm sorry for running again…but I promise I'm here to stay._

 _I owe you the truth for why I ran the first time, but tonight_

 _I wasn't ready. I have so many things I need to say, but just_

 _need a little time to gather my thoughts. I promise I'll call you_

 _soon._

 _-Sookie._

* * *

 **A/N: Hope you liked it! Next chapter will definitely answer some more questions about our favorite couple's past...but not all of the questions, just yet :-) I'm going to hunker down and bang out the next chapter of ATLU and then get the next chapter of this up as soon as possible! Hopefully I'll be able to get into a better posting schedule, so that I'm not always leaving you guys hanging. Until next time, loves!**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Since this has been a long time coming, we're going to skip the usual intro note and save it all for the postscript. You guys are amazing as always and I hope you enjoy! I own nothing TB or SVM related.**

* * *

"You are such an _ass_ , Jason Stackhouse!" Sookie hissed as she smacked her brother upside the head, abruptly waking him from the nap he'd been taking on her couch. She'd contemplated calling as soon as she'd left _Fantasy_ , but had decided to let herself stew on the trip home. Unsurprisingly, her anger towards Jason hadn't abated any. "Since when do we lie to each other?"

Jason sheepishly smiled at his sister as he rubbed the back of his head, yawning a little as he looked at the clock. "It's only ten, Sis. I, uh, didn't expect you back so soon. Did you drop Tara off at the house?" he asked, doing his best to deflect the conversation that he knew he'd be having anyways. "I probably should head on out. He went down without a fight right after you left," he told her, moving to stand up as he nodded his head towards the baby monitor on the coffee table.

"Not so fast, Jase," Sookie said, shoving her brother back down into his seat. "Imagine my surprise when I went to get a drink and saw a familiar face behind the bar. He's been back for _months_ and you didn't tell me?! I didn't realize the whole 'bros before hoes' thing included your sister and fiancée." Sookie was ashamed to admit the glee she felt when she saw Jason's face pale, knowing he understood exactly what she was saying. "That's right, Jason. We were greatly surprised to see none other than Eric Northman tonight, but even more surprised to know that _you_ knew he was back in town."

Jason nervously ran a hand through his hair, wondering if he was going to make it through the night unscathed. "I didn't think it would be a big deal, Sook!" he exclaimed, raising up his arms as Sookie moved to smack him again. "Alright, bad thing to say. But I didn't tell _him_ about _you_ being back _._ If anything, I should get some serious points for the element of surprise!"

Sookie sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose as she felt a headache coming on. She loved her brother to death, but Jason always had moments that made her wonder if he'd been dropped on his head at some point. "Jason. I love you, and you know that. You're my big brother and have always been there for me," she started, shaking her head a little when she saw her brother's big grin. "But did you _honestly_ think that this was a good idea? After what I did to him, I wouldn't have been surprised if he threw me out of there."

"Did you at least talk to him? He was actually asking about you last week. Did you tell him about Jacob?"

"And say what exactly? 'Hey, Eric! Remember how I ran out on you all those years ago? Well, I'm back! Also…remember my senior prom? I sure as hell do, since I've got a pint-sized copy of you!' No, Jason. The second he was distracted, I ran." Sookie let out an exasperated sigh when her brother started to sputter, narrowing her eyes at him. "Don't give me that look, Jason Winston Stackhouse. It's what happens between consenting adults, even if they happen to be your sister and your best friend. And it did happen…multiple times," she added, unable to hold back a grin as Jason's face turned a little green.

"Christ, Sook. If I didn't know any better, I'd say you'd been holed up taking snark lessons from Pam," Jason told her, shuddering a little. "I _know_ what happened between you and Eric. No need to remind me. I'm sorry that I didn't tell you that Eric was back in town or that he owned the place you were going to. I wanted to see what would happen if you two just happened to bump into each other." Jason's phone started vibrating, the messages that appeared on the screen causing him to shake his head a little. "You left Tara at the club, didn't you?"

Sookie shrugged her shoulders a little, sighing as she plopped onto the couch next to her brother. "I may have been a _little_ peeved that she knew that the club belonged to Pam. Though…not as peeved as _she_ was when she found out that you knew Eric was back in town and didn't tell her," she said, leaning her head against his shoulder. "Hope you got used to sleeping on the couch, because I'm pretty sure that's what's in store for you once you go home."

Jason let out a groan as he wrapped his arm around Sookie's shoulders, hugging her close and kissing the top of her head. "Do me a favor, Sis? Make it worth it," he said softly, kissing her head again as he stood up. "I'll come over tomorrow morning to help you do some more unpacking," he told her, holding up a hand when she started to protest. "I have some time before my next job starts. Me and Hoyt will be over first thing," he added as he grabbed his keys from the coffee table, leaning down to kiss her cheek before making his way out.

Sookie locked up the house and made her way upstairs, pausing in the doorway of what was now her son's room. She leaned her head against the doorframe as she watched Jacob sleep, watching as his chest rose and fell with each breath. While she had hoped for more time to figure out how to tell Eric, she knew the amount of time she had was decreasing. What she didn't know was just how fast.

* * *

Sookie let out a sigh of relief as she shut the front door, grateful for the next few hours of silence that she would be getting. Jason, true to his word, had shown up bright and early with Hoyt Fortenberry in tow. There had been some unplanned awkwardness once Sookie had brought Jacob downstairs, having somehow forgotten that Hoyt had run in the same crowd as Jason and Eric. He'd seen the likeness almost instantly "I swear on Gran's grave, Hoyt…if _anyone,_ especially your mother,shows up on my doorstep asking about things they shouldn't know about, I'll be coming after you," Sookie had threatened, causing Hoyt to turn a shade of white that had Jason doubled over in tears of laughter.

After a nice and mostly silent breakfast, the men had gone upstairs and started to work on moving around the heavier pieces of furniture that Sookie owned. She'd taken to working on hanging up the curtains in the downstairs as she kept an eye on Jacob, but soon realized that managing an ambulatory toddler while trying to do other tasks was not such an easy feat. After an hour of climbing to the top of the step ladder to adjust the curtain rod, only to have to scramble back down to keep Jacob from injuring himself somehow, she knew that things were not going to get done. So she'd packed up a bag for Jacob and sent the boys off to the Monroe Walmart (less chance of running into familiar faces than in Shreveport) with a list of things that she needed, allowing her some much needed alone time to get things done around the house.

Sookie slipped her cellphone into her pocket as she grabbed a basket of freshly washed clothes, taking a moment to just enjoy the feel of the sun on her face as she stepped out to the back porch. Chicago, to her dismay, hadn't been one for the warmth and the sun that she was used to. She secretly hoped she'd have a few moments between finishing her chores and the boys getting home to lay out in the sun like she'd done when she was younger. She soon got to work hanging the clothes on the old line that still stood out back.

Halfway through the basket Sookie heard a car pulling into the driveway, causing her to sigh. She'd been expecting this, even though she'd said that she would call, for she knew that there were still so many unanswered questions. She tossed the clothes that were still in her hands back into the basket and turned to face her visitor, raising a brow in confusion as she saw who it was. "Well, you're not who I was expecting to see."

"Love you too, Sook," Pam drawled out sarcastically as she started to walk over, fire in her eyes as she crossed her arms over her chest and looked down at the smaller blonde. "I was mad at you for leaving him, mad at you for just disappearing. But then I find out that it technically wasn't just you that left years ago, now was it? What the hell were you thinking, Sookie? Eric deserved better than that!"

It was Sookie's turn to get fire in her eyes. She could take any hits thrown at her, but all bets were off when Jacob was brought into the picture. "You want to know what I was thinking, Pam? Well, I _wasn't_ thinking. There's a hell of a lot more to this story than you realize, but I'll be damned if I tell you before I talk to Eric. It's bad enough that Tara mentioned Jacob to you last night," she hissed out, not missing the look in Pam's eyes as she said her son's name.

Pam nervously licked her dry lips, unable to speak for a few moments. "He was absolutely wrecked when you left, Sook. Then to see the photo that Tara showed me last night? I can't help but think that you were a bit selfish in this whole thing."

Sookie let out a sigh, running a hand over her face. This was _not_ the talk she wanted to be having right now. "And maybe I _was_ selfish. But I'm back now, Pam. I promise that I will tell him when I'm ready. But for now, I just want to have a cup of coffee and catch up with my good friend," she said, grinning when she saw the small smile on Pam's face as they moved inside.

* * *

Eric's knuckles were practically white as he gripped the steering wheel, his heart nearly beating out of his chest as he pulled onto the familiar lane. He'd been up almost the entire night, memories of Sookie plaguing him every time he'd tried to sleep. He'd called Pam a bunch of times that afternoon, hoping his younger sister could talk him out of his crazy idea, but as he turned onto the gravel driveway he realized why she hadn't answered any of his calls. "Of course she'd be here," he grumbled to himself as he parked next to his sister's car, doing his best to quell the need to vomit as he got out of his car. Seeing Sookie last night had dredged up so many feelings that he didn't know how to handle. Part of him wanted to yell at her for all that she had put him through, while the other part wanted to pull her into his arms and never let her go.

Eric walked the short distance to the back porch, taking in the sight of the laundry that was hanging on the line. His eyes narrowed as he noticed a familiar yellow sundress hanging next to the white one with red flowers Sookie had worn the night before, letting out a sigh as he climbed the porch stairs. If memory served him correctly, that yellow dress was the same one that she'd worn under her high school graduation gown; the same one that he'd enjoyed peeling off of her after a celebratory dinner for her and Pam with their families. "It's almost like she didn't buy _any_ new clothes the past four years," he grumbled to himself, stopping short as he came to the door.

Eric could see Sookie moving around the kitchen as she chatted with Pam, her legs on full display thanks to the cutoff shorts that she was wearing. He swallowed hard as he watched her move, noticing just how well those shorts fit her. And as if the fates were taunting him even more, the ripped middle belt loop flapping off the shorts meant that those were most likely the ones that Sookie had fashioned out of an old pair of his jeans years ago. "You have _got_ to be kidding me," he murmured to himself as he ran a hand through his hair, his brain currently fighting with his feet as to whether or not he should stay or flee.

Sookie paused in her conversation with Pam, looking up from the dishes that she was unwrapping. "Did you hear something, Pam?" she asked, turning around with a plate in her hand. She let out a yelp as she saw Eric standing at the door, her hands unsuccessfully fumbling for control over the dish in her hand. "Jesus Christ, Shepherd of Judea! What are you doing here, Eric?" she asked as she bent down to pick up the pieces of the shattered plate, letting out a stream of curses as she sliced her palm on one of the jagged pieces.

Eric was through the door and kneeling by Sookie before Pam could even get out of her chair, causing the female Northman to raise a brow. "First aid kit in the bathroom, Sook?" she asked as she stood up, almost laughing as she saw her friend nod slightly as she stared open-mouthed at Eric. "I'll be right back," she mumbled as she rolled her eyes, though she couldn't help but smile as she moved out of the room. Even though she was still a bit angry at Sookie for her disappearing act, she couldn't deny how much she enjoyed seeing her brother and friend in the same room again. She could only hope that things wouldn't turn sour once Sookie finally opened up to Eric.

"Let me take a look at it," Eric murmured as he tried to get Sookie to relax her fingers, doing his best to ignore the jolt that shot through him as he took her hand in his. "Shit, Sook…this is really deep," he said as he inspected the cut, his brow furrowed as he watched the blood pump from the wound. "What the hell are those things made out of?" he asked, moving to grab a dishtowel that was hanging from the stove.

Sookie swallowed hard as she did her best not to vomit, the sight of the blood on her hand and kitchen floor almost pushing her over the edge. She may be the mother to a rambunctious toddler, but the sight of her own blood usually made her want to pass out. "They're, ah, ceramic. Which means super sharp when broken," she whispered as she closed her eyes, trying to think of anything that could take her mind off of the current situation. "I didn't expect to see you so soon. I figured you would be mad at me."

Eric smiled as he wrapped Sookie's hand in the towel, applying pressure to her palm as he helped her stand. "Once the shock of seeing you again wears off I'll probably be mad, but right now I feel like you'll run away if I let you out of my sight," he murmured as he sat in the chair next to her, tilting his head as he watched something flash across her face.

"I told you I was done running, Eric," Sookie said softly, willing herself to look him in the eyes. Her breath caught as she saw a familiar look in his eyes, reminding her of why she'd fallen so easily for him. "It's not just me in my life anymore," she added quietly, raising a brow in confusion as she felt the hand that held hers tighten a little.

"I take it Bill came back with you, then?" Eric asked through gritted teeth, realizing that one of his worst nightmares had come true. "Damnit, where's Pam with that first-aid kit? Is Bill over at his parents' house? You're probably going to need stitches and I'm sure he'll want to take you," Eric said, his face stoic as he searched Sookie's face for answers that he wasn't sure he wanted.

Sookie stared at Eric open-mouthed for a few moments, trying to piece together what he was saying to her. "Bill? Bill _Compton_? Who the hell told you I was with that weasel?" she asked, unable to hold back the laughter that bubbled out of her. "I haven't laid eyes on him since I left Bon Temps, Eric."

It was Eric's turn to look confused, ignoring Pam as she stood in the doorway with the now forgotten first aid kit. "I ran into him last month and he said that he'd started seeing you a couple of months ago. Are you going into shock? Why are you laughing so much?" He was confused, to say the least. When he bumped into Bill Compton at the mall in Shreveport, the shorter brunette had seemed nothing but eager to rub in Eric's face the fact that he was now dating the elusive Sookie Stackhouse. It had taken all of Eric's might to not punch Bill square in the face, choosing to simply walk away and drown his sorrows that night in a bottle of tequila.

"I'm sorry, but that man is certifiable," Sookie said as she gasped for breath, the adrenaline from the laughter thankfully masking the pain in her hand. "A couple of months ago I was elbows deep in textbooks finishing up my senior project. The only time that I came up for air was a conference that I had to go to for…well, shit," she trailed off, eyes growing wide as she recalled the night in question. The conference, which was required for one of her classes, had taken place during Valentine's Day weekend that year. Sookie, not happy that she was missing an important day for her son, had hit the hotel bar pretty hard…something that was never a good idea. And considering the fact that the weekend was technically a triple whammy for her, she had hit the bar _really_ hard. "ImayhavegottendrunkandmadeoutwithBillwhenIranintohimiatabar," she said quickly, ducking her head to hide her face that was getting redder by the second.

Pam couldn't hold back her laughter as she finally moved from her place in the doorway, loving the looks on both Eric and Sookie's faces. "While I would _love_ to hear the story of how this all went down, and I _will_ be hearing it, we need to get you to the hospital and get that hand checked out. It's bleeding like a stuck pig, Sook," she said, opening up the first aid kit that she had rested on the table. "Let me wrap you up and I'll take you to the hospital."

Sookie's eyes got wide as she shook her head, her logical side finally coming back to her. "I can drive myself, Pam. Jason and Hoyt should be getting back any minute and will be wondering where I am," she said, giving her friend a pointed look as she stood up. The last thing she needed was her brother _and_ son freaking out over the fact that she wasn't home. "I'm just going to grab my purse and then I'll walk you out, Eric."

Eric shook his head as he stood, giving Pam a pointed look of his own. "No way I'm letting you drive after you've been bleeding for nearly half an hour, Sookie. I'll take you over to the hospital. Dad's got rounds in the ER today. We can probably get you in with him, even though you're a bit older than his usual patients," Eric said with a grin, rewrapping Sookie's hand as she protested. "Non-negotiable, Sook," he murmured as he listened to her try and talk him out of it, digging his keys out of his pocket. "Pam'll hang out and explain everything to Jason," he added as he tugged Sookie along, not giving her another chance to protest.

Sookie sighed as she grabbed her purse off the counter, raising a brow as she walked out of the house and down the steps. "I see you upgraded from the pickup" she commented as she eyed the red Corvette in her yard, unable to hold back a smile as he opened the passenger door for her.

Eric laughed as he made his way to the driver's side, sliding his long body into the driver's seat. "And I see you upgraded from the death trap you called a car," he answered with a grin, nodding happily at the SUV parked next to Pam's car. He knew how fond she'd been of the ancient yellow Honda that she'd been gifted for her 16th birthday, but he recalled how many times he'd expected to get a call about it breaking down.

Sookie rolled her eyes as she buckled her seatbelt, holding her injured hand to her chest as Eric backed out of the driveway. "Sometimes needs change and transportation has to change with them," she murmured, then held on tight as Eric took off for the hospital.

* * *

Forty-five minutes later Sookie found herself waiting in an exam room, watching a nervous Eric pace back and forth. "You mind sitting down before you wear a hole in the floor? Your dad's a busy man…he'll get here when he gets here, Eric," she said with a nervous laugh, patting the bed next to her. In truth, she wasn't sure what to expect once Godric Northman walked through that door. She'd always been closer to Eric's father than his mother, but she wasn't sure how the Northman patriarch felt about her after abandoning his son. "Did you tell him it was me that you wanted him to see? Because that probably caused him to run for the hills."

Eric chuckled as he sat next to Sookie, unable to help as he wrapped an arm around her and pulled her close. "Dad's always been one of your biggest fans, even after you left. He'll be nothing but happy to see you again, Sunshine," he said, stiffening as he realized that he used his old nickname for her. "I never did wish you happy birthday yesterday. I'll take you out for dinner after to make up? We can have that talk, too."

Sookie's breath caught in her throat as she heard Eric use his old pet name for her, resisting the urge to bury her face against his chest like she used to. "Tonight's probably not the best idea, Eric, considering what day it is. Too many memories," she murmured as she lifted her head to look at him, unable to tear her gaze away from his. The look in his eyes told her that he remembered exactly what day it was as well, causing her heart to beat faster in her chest as she licked her dry lips. "We really do need to talk though."

Eric brought his hand up to rest on Sookie's cheek, absentmindedly brushing back a strand of hair as his eyes searched hers. "Then have dinner with me, Sook," he pleaded softly, closing his eyes as he rested his forehead against hers. "I really missed you. I…I just want more time with you," he added as he opened his eyes, watching so many emotions flash through her eyes as she pondered his words.

Sookie couldn't help but feel hope at his words, resting her hand on his cheek as well. She knew that he would probably be furious when he found out about Jacob, and rightly so. But maybe there was still a chance that they could try and reclaim some of what they'd had. She'd never stopped thinking about her first and only love, and being back in the same room as him caused her brain to almost stop functioning properly. "I'll have dinner with you, Eric," she whispered moments before he leaned in and pressed his lips against hers, memories of that night four years ago flooding back in full force.

* * *

 _ **Flashback – 05/26/2012**_

 _Sookie looked at her reflection in the mirror as she stood in the hotel bathroom, feeling as nervous as a virgin on prom night. "Ironic, much?" she mumbled to herself as she tried to even her breathing, knowing that passing out would not have the desired outcome for that night. It was the night of her senior prom, one day after her eighteenth birthday, and the night had already been so perfect. She'd danced the night away in Eric's arms, feeling as if she was the only girl in the world for him. They had been dating for just over a year, that first date on his birthday leading to him coming home from school every weekend just to see her. He'd even transferred to the LSU satellite campus in Shreveport for his senior year, stating that he finally had a reason to want to be around Bon Temps again. Considering he'd originally chosen to go to a campus four hours away to get away from his overbearing mother, Sookie knew deep down that maybe she and Eric had a chance at evolving into something long-lasting._

 _Which was why, after many months of heated kisses and roaming hands, she found herself in the bathroom of the Hilton Shreveport prepping herself to lose her virginity. She knew it was clichéd to do this on prom night, but it just felt…right. Eric had been so patient with her, not pressing her for anything more than what she was ready for, but Sookie knew that he wanted more. It was no secret that he was experienced, having heard her brother tease him over the years about his conquests, so she was a bit intimidated and nervous about what was about to happen. Eric had told her repeatedly that it didn't matter to him, but she still had her doubts. "It's now or never, Stackhouse," she told herself softly, taking a deep breath as she turned and opened the bathroom door._

 _Eric looked up from where he was sitting on the bed as he heard the door open, his breath catching in his throat as he saw Sookie standing there. She'd scrubbed off her make-up and taken her hair down, allowing her curls to fall around her shoulders, but was still wearing her dress. That dress had nearly been the death of him when he'd shown up to the farmhouse earlier that evening, especially when he caught the glare that Jason had given him. She'd chosen a red (his favorite color) dress than accentuated her beauty, rather than take away from it like most of the dresses that he knew they would be seeing that night. The one-shouldered dress was simple, yet elegant, subtly clinging to the curves that he had been dreaming about for more than a year. "You are beyond gorgeous," he said as he stood up and held out a hand to her, echoing his words from earlier in the night._

 _Sookie blushed as she took Eric's hand, laughing softly as he pulled her close and started to sway them gently back and forth. Dancing with him had been one of her favorite things of the night, the catty whispers all around her telling her that she was the luckiest girl in the room. She knew that those from the more influential families in Bon Temps, like Lorena Compton and Sophie Leclerq, didn't think that someone like her deserved to be with Eric…but she knew deep down that he really meant it whenever he said that he only had eyes for her. "You don't look half bad, yourself," she teased with a grin as she wrapped her arms around his neck, resting her head against his chest as they continued to sway._

 _Eric laughed softly as he pressed a kiss to the top of Sookie's head, smiling as he gently ran his hands up and down her back. He knew what Sookie wanted to do tonight and had fretted about it all day, wanting to make the night as special for her as possible. He knew that she knew about some of his experience, having seen the look on her face whenever the girls of his past walk by her and make snide comments, but he wanted to show Sookie that she was different from all of them. "You are my favorite person, Sunshine. I am so lucky to have you in my life," he murmured softly, pressing his his lips to the top of her head again._

 _Sookie pulled back so that she could smile widely up at Eric, her heart bursting with happiness at his words. "I think I'm the lucky one," she whispered as she leaned up, throwing caution to the wind as she pressed her lips to his. She pressed her body against his as she felt him respond to her kiss, letting out a sigh of contentment as his tongue gently probed her lips. She eagerly opened her mouth to him, tangling her fingers in his hair as his tongue began to dance with hers._

 _Eric couldn't help his hands as they began to roam lower on Sookie's back and rested on the curve of her ass, moaning against her lips when her hips ground gently against his. He let go of her briefly to shed the jacket of his tux, keeping his lips on hers as his hands found the zipper on the back of her dress. "Is this okay?" he asked softly as he pulled back and looked down at her, not wanting to rush her into anything._

 _Considering her body felt like it was on fire at that moment, Sookie couldn't think of anything that she wanted more than to shed that dress. She nodded as she reached between them to undo his tie, her eyes meeting his as she felt him start to pull down her zipper. "Is…is this okay?" she asked, echoing his words as he moved her fingers to the buttons of his dress shirt._

 _Eric let out a small groan as he moved his lips to her neck, trailing kisses down it as he lowered her zipper fully. "More than okay," he murmured as he nudged the dress strap off her shoulder, his kisses following its trail as he felt her continue to unbutton his shirt. He stepped back to discard the shirt, watching as her hands came up to hold her dress close to her chest. "Let me see you, Sook," he requested, his voice husky with need as he kicked off his shoes and socks. He watched as many emotions flickered across her face before she closed her eyes, his breath catching in his throat as he thought for a moment that she was having second thoughts._

" _I want to see you first," Sookie whispered as she opened her eyes, letting out a soft gasp as she saw the look in his eyes. She was silent as he pulled his t-shirt over his head, her eye hungrily taking in the sight of him shirtless. She'd seen him like this at least a hundred times before when they'd all sunbathed together, but seeing him like this now caused her legs to almost give out beneath her. Taking a deep breath she stood up a little straighter, her eyes not leaving his as she took her hand away from her chest and let her dress fall to her feet._

 _Eric sucked in a breath as his eyes roamed over Sookie, unable to form words for a few moments. Even though he'd seen her in her bikini more times than he could count, the sight of her in a black strapless bra and lace boyshorts had his heart nearly beating out of his chest. "No…don't hide yourself from me," he murmured as he saw her hands start to go up, sitting down on the edge of the bed and pulling her down so that she was straddling his lap. "Like I said…you are beyond gorgeous, Sookie Stackhouse."_

 _Sookie blushed at Eric's words as she let her fingers wearily dance down his his shoulders and over his chest, her eyes meeting his again as she heard him moan softly. Before she could say anything his lips were on hers again, drawing a deep moan from her as his tongue began to war with hers once more. Her fingers found themselves tangled in his hair as her hips began to gently move against his. She let out a gasp as she felt one of his hands move to her chest, the heat from his hand permeating through her bra as he began to knead her breast. After a few moments she pulled away, nervously smiling at Eric as she watched his brow furrow with worry. Without saying anything she reached behind herself, taking a deep breath before she unclasped her bra and let it drop._

 _Eric felt all of the blood rush out of one head and into another as he took in the sight of Sookie's bare chest for the first time, blushing slightly as he realized that she was currently pressed up against that exact part of his anatomy. He tentatively reached out and let his fingers trail down from her throat to the swell of her breast, keeping his eyes on hers as his fingertips brushed over one of her nipples. He heard her sharp intake of breath at the contact, felt her nipple pebble under his touch. "Stop me if I do something that's too much," he murmured, waiting for her to nod her consent before he crashed his lips to hers._

 _Sookie couldn't help but moan as Eric began his assault on her with both his lips and his hands, each of his touches leaving a trail of fire in their wake. She cried out his name softly as his lips found their way down to one of her nipples, her back arching as breathtaking sensations coursed through her body. Her hands made their way between them and began to unbuckle his belt, her fingers gripping his hips as he continued to suck and lick at her nipple._

 _Eric reluctantly pulled away from Sookie's breast and captured her lips with his again, holding onto her tightly as he stood up. He smiled against her lips as he felt her legs wrap around his waist, tangling his hands in her hair as he turned to lay her down on the bed. He stood up and began to unbutton his pants, taking in the sight of her tousled hair and swollen lips as he dropped his pants and stepped out of him._

 _Sookie couldn't help but let her gaze travel down Eric's body, licking her dry lips as she saw the noticeable bulge in his boxer briefs. She reached out and pulled him down on the bed next to her, resting her hand on his cheek as she gazed into his eyes. "I have something that I've been wanting to tell you for a while, but I didn't want to scare you off. I mean…I'm just your best friend's little sister and there are so many girls out there who are better suited for you, but-"_

 _Eric cut off Sookie's rambling with a firm kiss, keeping his lips pressed against hers until her felt her start to relax. He rolled them so that he was between her legs and propped up on his his hands above her, a goofy grin on his face as he gazed down at her. "I love you too, Sookie," he said with a small laugh, hearing her sharp intake of breath as she processed his words. "Have for a long time now, maybe even before our first date," he murmured, brushing his lips against hers before moving them to her neck. "You're all I can ever think about," he added softly as he trailed kisses down her chest. "All I ever_ want _to think about." He closed his lips over one of her nipples as his fingers found her other one, taking great pride in the moans of satisfaction coming from her as he tweaked and suckled._

 _Sookie's eyes rolled to the back of her head as her back arched off the bed, her hips lifting and causing her to rub against the bulge that she felt pressing against her thigh. Hearing Eric's soft moans in response caused her to repeat the movement over and over, letting out her own moans as he shifted his body so that he was pressing directly against her center. Feeling a burst of courage course through her as he kissed his way back up to her lips, Sookie's fingers traveled over his stomach and dipped into the waistband of his underwear._

" _Fuck, Sookie," Eric hissed out as he felt her fingers brush against his length, bucking against her slightly as her small hand hesitantly wrapped around him. He held his breath as he pulled back and stared down at her, trying with all of his might to not lose control of himself as he felt her begin to stroke him. Silently asking for permission one of his hands traveled down her stomach, almost losing control again as his hand cupped her warmth over her panties. "Christ, Sook…I can feel how wet you are."_

 _Sookie blushed at Eric's words as her caused her to buck against his hand, her own hand continuing to stroke him. "And I can feel how hard you are," she murmured brazenly as she held his gaze with hers, gasping out his name as she felt him dip his fingers into her boyshorts and brush over her slick folds. As if his touch caused something to snap within her Sookie pulled his head down so their lips could meet, hesitating only briefly before her other hand pushed Eric's boxer briefs down his hips._

 _Eric quickly stood to kick off his underwear, barely giving Sookie a chance to react to the full sight of him before he was back on the bed with her. He knelt with his legs on either side of hers, his hands pulling down the last bit of clothing that was hiding her from his sight. He groaned out her name once he finally saw her in all of her glory, holding her gaze as his fingers began to explore._

 _Sookie hissed out Eric's name as she felt his fingers run through her folds again, nervously opening her legs to allow him more access. She wasn't exactly sure what to do anymore, but decided to just trust and listen to her body; and it was telling her that she wanted him touching her everywhere. She sucked in a breath as she felt his fingers start to timidly probe her entrance, her back arching slightly as he pushed one finger slowing into her._

 _Eric let out a groan as he felt her envelope his finger, the thought of him eventually sliding into Sookie's warmth causing him to forget to breathe for a few moments. He began to slowly piston his finger in and out, using her moans and the bucking of her hips to direct his speed. After some time he added a second finger and gently stretched her, shifting so that he could lay down beside her and whisper comforting words against her lips as they continued to move against each other._

 _Sookie could feel something building low in her stomach with each thrust of Eric's fingers, her teeth nipping at his lip as his fingers brushed against a spot that caused her hips to buck harder against him. The pressure in her stomach soon became almost too much, causing her to bury her face in his neck as she saw stars and cried out his name._

 _Eric pressed his lips to the top of Sookie's head as his fingers slowed and slipped out of her, holding her close as her body trembled from her orgasm. "Are you okay?" he softly asked after a few silent moments, pressing kisses all over her face as she pulled away from his neck. "Was that too much?"_

 _Sookie laughed softly as she shook her head, turning her face up to capture his lips with hers. "That was perfect. I…I want more, Eric. I want_ you _," she whispered as she blushed a little, sitting up slightly as he hopped off the bed. "What's wrong? Is everything okay?"_

 _Eric smiled as he located his pants and started to dig into them, running his hand in and out of each pocket. "Everything's perfect, Sook. Just looking for…," he trailed off as he realized he couldn't find what he was looking for, tossing the pants aside and grabbing for his tux jacket. "Well, shit…they're not in there either. I must've left the damn condoms at home," he said as he came up empty handed again, looking a bit distraught for a moment. "Give me a few minutes, Sunshine. I'm going to go run by Jason and Tara's room to see if I can snag any from them," he told her, raising a brow as she shot off the bed like a fire had been lit under her. "You okay? Are you having second thoughts, because that's really okay if you are."_

 _Sookie shook her head quickly, grabbing at Eric's hands before he could move to put his pants back on. "I don't think asking my older brother for condoms would allow for the night that we were planning on," she said with a small smile, watching the sheepish look come over his face as he realized what she was saying. "I've been on the pill for over a year, Eric…we're fine," she murmured_ , _pulling him back to the bed with her_. _"I love you so much, Eric Northman," she whispered as she pulled him down for a kiss._

 _Eric groaned slightly as he settled himself between Sookie's legs, pouring all of the love he had for her into their kiss. "And I love you, Sookie Stackhouse," he whispered in response, dipping his fingers down to check her readiness. "It's probably going to hurt for a little, but I promise it'll get better. Stop me if you need to," he murmured against her lips, waiting until she nodded before he began to slowly push into her._

* * *

 _ **Present Day**_

"Please tell me I wasn't paged for this."

A voice from the doorway caused Sookie and Eric to break away from each other, both of them panting as they stared at each other. Somehow Sookie had found her way onto Eric's lap and her legs were wrapped around his waist, her injured handed cradled gently in between them as his hands rested on her ass. She could tell from the look in Eric's eyes that he'd had the same trip down memory lane as her, could feel beneath her that the memories had caused his body to have the same reactions as hers.

Eric let out a small groan as he looked over Sookie's shoulder, not sure whether he should thank or throttle the person for interrupting them. He hadn't planned on kissing Sookie, especially since he still had more questions than answers, but it had just felt…right. "Hey, Dad," he said with a small wave, grinning sheepishly at Sookie as he saw the look of horror on her face. "So I know you're in pediatrics, but she cut her hand really bad and we were wondering if you could take a look at it."

Dr. Godric Northman raised a brow as he stared at his son and the woman currently in his lap, not sure what exactly was going on. "Eric…I told you not to page me unless it was an emergency with you or Pamela. I'm sure one of the nurse practitioners could've stitched up your friend here just as well," he started as he walked in and shut the door, narrowing his eyes as he got a better look at the woman. "Is that…is that Sookie Stackhouse on your lap?"

Sookie blushed as she turned her head to look at Eric's dad, giving a sheepish little wave of her own. "Hey there, Dr. Northman. Long time, no see," she said as she shifted off of Eric's lap, holding out her hand for inspection. "Ceramic plate: 1, Sookie: 0," she said with a wince as Godric unwrapped her hand, her other hand groping for Eric's as Godric got to work on washing out her wound.

The three made small talk as Godric worked, thankfully avoiding the topic of Sookie's departure and reappearance. Eric held on to Sookie's hand as he watched his father work, staying as stoic as possible when Sookie's grip nearly crushed his hand a time or two. She barely made any fuss though, which confused him. The Sookie he knew flinched at the sight of needles and had barely any pain tolerance…yet the woman next to him was taking everything like a champ.

Once she was stitched up and bandaged, Godric walked them to the emergency room entrance. "I expect you to come over to the house sometime soon, Sookie. You were greatly missed around here," he said as he hugged her gently, noticing that she stiffened at his words. "Eric…I'll swing by the club after rounds and see it in full swing," he added, nodding to his son before walking back into the hospital.

"Thanks for bringing me here…I can call Jason for a ride, if you need to head to the club," Sookie murmured, unable to meet Eric's eyes as they stood next to each other. "We can do dinner some other night."

Eric shook his head and pulled Sookie into his arms before she could protest, resting his chin on the top of her head as he held her close. "Not a chance, Stackhouse. I figure you owe me dinner, plus the story of what went down with Bill. You almost broke my hand a few times in there," he said with a laugh, letting her go so that he could dig his keys out of his pocket. "I'm going to get the car. Be back soon."

Sookie watched as Eric walked off, mentally slapping herself for what had happened in the exam room. They needed to talk, not make out like they were teenagers again! She still wasn't sure how that had even happened, but vowed that conversation would be had before even the thought of that happened again. She couldn't deny, though, how great it had felt to be in Eric's arms again.

A child's wail soon pulled Sookie out of her thoughts and her head snapped up, her eyes narrowing as she heard a familiar voice crying 'Mama!' repeatedly. She turned and gasped as she saw Jason and Hoyt rushing at her, Jacob in Jason's arms with a towel pressed to his head. "What the hell happened?!"

Jason passed the squirming toddler to Sookie, murmuring words of comfort as he watched big tears roll down his nephew's face. "I turned my back for one second, Sook, and he fell off the couch. Clocked his head on the corner of the coffee table and it hasn't stopped bleeding," he said frantically, his face paling as he told her the events of the afternoon. "I tried calling you, but your phone went straight to voicemail. I am so sorry, Sis. I shouldn't watch him again."

Sookie rolled her eyes a little as she held her son close, softly hushing him as she swayed him back and forth. "Jase, it's _okay_. Little boys take frequent trips to the hospital. Lord knows Mama and Daddy should've gotten frequent flier miles on the station wagon, with how many times they had to take you. We'll take him on in and get him looked at. He'll be fine," she murmured, giving her brother a small smile. She started to walk into the ER, then stopped short as she remembered that she hadn't been by herself at the hospital. "Hey, Hoyt? You mind waiting out here till Eric shows up with his car? Just tell him that Jason had an accident and I'm going to stay here. He can go on and I'll catch a ride home with you guys," she murmured, then turned to walk back into the hospital.

* * *

 **A/N: *hides behind hands* Sooo...that happened. I had some major writer's block and then suddenly wrote an epically long flashback. As usual, I didn't get everything that I wanted into this chapter...but there was also a _ton_ of unplanned stuff. I really hope you enjoyed and don't think my brain is too crazy for thinking up these things :-)**

 **Y'all have been simply amazing with your reviews and follows/favorites, as well as have been super patient with my sporadic posting. Like with ATLU, I'll be replying to all reviews from now on. Until next time!**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Many apologies about disappearing off the face of the planet! I work for a pre-employment screening company, so this time of the year is our super busy time. I also got distracted by Californiakat's Comfortably Numb series (which I highly recommend). On top of that, my new laptop had to be sent out for repairs, so most of this was typed up on my IPad (apologies for any grammatical errors or format issues!). You guys have been amazing with the reviews and follows/alerts, so let's get to it! I own nothing SVM or TB related. Enjoy!**

* * *

Sookie murmured soothing words as she held Jacob close, wiping away his tears as they sat in the exam room. "It's going to be okay, my little love. We're going to get you fixed up, then Uncle Jason's going to take you for some ice cream," she said softly, unable to help the smile on her face as she saw her son's eyes light up. No matter the age or the ailment, ice cream always seemed to be good medicine for the soul. She also knew it would be a good distraction while she called Eric and set up a time for them to finally talk. "Hey, Jase? You mind sitting with him for a few? I'm going to go track down a bathroom really quick."

Sookie shifted Jacob into Jason's arms, pressing a kiss to the toddler's head before stepping back to look at the cut. It had stopped bleeding enough for her to see that it probably wouldn't require stitches, but she still wanted someone to confirm that he would be okay. "I'll be back," she said with a smile, then slipped out of the room. She began to rummage in her purse for her cellphone as she walked down the hallway, furrowing her brow as she came up empty. "That's strange. I could've sworn-"

Sookie's words were cut off as she bumped into someone and caused them to drop the file they were holding, her eyes widening when she saw who it was. "Shit, I mean…Sorry, Dr. Northman. I really should have been watching where I was going," she said quickly, bending to help him pick up the papers she knocked out of his hands.

Godric laughed as he bent down to sort his file, raising a brow when he saw Sookie's hands tremble a little. "You do realize that I've heard you swear up one side and down the other at Jason before, right? You're not going to offend my delicate sensibility," he said with a small smile as he stood up, offering a hand to Sookie to help her straighten out. "What are you still doing here? I figured Eric would've had you home by now."

Sookie nervously bit her lip as they began to walk, her fingers beginning to fidget with her purse strap. "You know Jason…always getting injured somehow. Hoyt was dropping him off as we were walking out," she answered, swallowing hard as Godric stopped outside the exam room that Jason and Jacob were in. "Um…I really should be getting back to him," she muttered, silently praying that what could possibly happen next wasn't about to happen.

"I'll let you get to him, then. I've got a bumped noggin in here that I need to see to. Where are you two set up? I'll stop by to check in, say hi to your brother," Godric said, eyes narrowing as he saw the expression on Sookie's face. She'd gotten visibly paler as he spoke and seemed to be edging towards the closed exam room that held his next patient. "Sookie? You okay?"

Jason chose that time to open the door, the smile on his face faltering for a split second when he saw who was standing there. "Hey, uh, Dr. Northman. Long time, no see! Sorry if the nurses paged you for me. I may have mentioned that you used to be my doctor, so they probably got confused. Sook…I _really_ need you in here," he whispered loudly as he tried to block the doorway with his shoulders, knowing that Jacob would be sitting in view of the door.

Sookie closed her eyes for a few moments, trying to reign in her emotions. This was the payback that she got for disappearing all those years ago, apparently; not being able to tell Eric about Jacob before everyone else in the Bon Temps area found out. "You can stand down, Jase. He's going to find out eventually. You can go hang out in the waiting room with Hoyt, if you want," she said with a sigh, giving her brother a small smile. She could hear whimpering coming from the room, a sound which soon turned into full blown cries as Jacob caught sight of his mother. Sookie shrugged her shoulders at Jason as he moved to let her into the room, not really sure how this situation was going to turn out. "What are the chances that this falls under 'doctor-patient confidentiality'?" she asked as she reached out to pull Jacob into her arms, taking a deep breath before turning around to look at Godric.

"Well, Jesus Christ on a crutch."

* * *

Godric felt like all of the wind had been knocked out of him once Sookie turned around, his jaw dropping as he saw the child in her arms. Even red-faced and covered in snot, there was no denying why Sookie had been so jumpy earlier. If he hadn't already known that it wasn't possible, he would have thought that he'd traveled back in time and was staring at his own son when he was toddler. "He's Eric's," he stated rather than asked once he finally found his voice again, licking his dry lips as he shifted his eyes to Sookie.

Sookie nodded slightly as she pressed a kiss to the top of Jacob's head, murmuring words of comfort as she set the toddler back down on the exam room bed. "And I'd like to be the one to tell him, if you don't mind. Too many people are finding out before I can talk to him," she replied softly, moving over to allow Godric to get closer to Jacob so that he could being his exam. "This is Dr. Northman, Jacob. He's an old friend of Mama's and he's going to check out that fun little bump on your head," she murmured, not missing the fact that Godric stiffened when she mentioned her son's name.

Godric moved on autopilot as he began to exam Jacob, trying to get his thoughts together as he began to probe at the small wound on the toddler's forehead. "It's nice to meet you, Jacob," he finally murmured as he pulled out his flashlight, smiling as he checked the reaction of the boy's pupils. "Now how in the world did you end up with this on your head?"

Sookie let out a small laugh as Jacob turned red and buried his face against her side, rubbing his back gently as she smiled at Godric. "He's a bit of a shy one, which is probably my fault. I tend to keep him close, if I can help it. As for the cut, he's decided to take after Uncle Jase and try and bounce off of coffee tables. Isn't that right, monkey?"

Godric smiled as Jacob peeked out from his hiding spot, giving the boy a little wave as he pulled his stool over and sat down. "You know…your Uncle Jason has sat right where you are far too many times. I used to treat his bumps when he was a bit bigger than you," he said with a small laugh, grabbing some saline and gauze before he motioned to Jacob to scoot over on the bed. "I just need to wash your forehead, if that's okay." He waited until Jacob nodded, then began to dab at the dried blood with the wet gauze. "You're going to have a bit of a bump, but the cut looks like it's pretty superficial and nothing to worry about." He continued to clean Jacob's forehead, glancing at Sookie every so often. "Who was his pediatrician in Chicago?"

"Patricia Ludwig out of Northwestern Memorial," Sookie answered, raising a brow when she saw the look of surprise on Godric's face. "I take it you know her?" she asked, though she wasn't surprised. The small doctor's ferociousness had been what had drawn Sookie to her, the personality exactly what a scared new mother needed. Her OB/GYN had recommended the doctor to Sookie, but had warned her of the pediatrician's less than warm attitude.

Godric nodded with a smile, grabbing a band aid to cover up Jacob's cut. "Our paths have crossed in the past. Honestly…she's who I would have recommended in that area, personality notwithstanding," he told Sookie as he pushed back from Jacob, giving the boy a warm smile. "All set! If he starts to have any symptoms of a concussion, bring him back in right away. Otherwise, bring him by the house in a week or so and I'll do a follow up. If that's alright with you, of course," Godric added quickly, standing up to go over to his computer. He obviously wanted to get to know his grandson, but he was ready to respect Sookie's wishes on the matter.

Sookie smiled warmly as she nodded, leaning over to kiss the top of Jacob's head. She felt bad for not telling Jacob that Godric was more than just an old friend, but she knew she owed it to Eric for him to connect with Jacob first. "We'll definitely stop by sometime soon," she answered as she watched him start to log into the hospital database, frowning a little as she saw the older man's eyes go wide. "Everything okay?" she asked as she stood up, ruffling Jacob's blond hair a little before moving over to Godric's side.

Godric had pulled up Jacob's chart on the computer, intending to go over the personal information to be sure that everything had been entered correctly. What he saw on the very first line caused him to freeze in shock and awe. " 'Jacob Corbett Stackhouse. Date of birth…February 14th, 2013'," he read aloud from the computer, turning his head to look at Sookie when he realized she was standing next to him. "What made you run, Sookie? You know we would've helped take care of everything," he said as he turned his gaze to Jacob, his eyes meeting eyes that were the same piercing blue as his own son's.

Sookie stiffened slightly at Godric's words, shaking her head slightly as she gathered her words. "I'm surprised your wife didn't tell you all about how she offered to 'take care' of things," she murmured, almost instantly regretting what she said. By having them meet or be told about Jacob, Pam and Godric already knew more about her son than Eric did…and what she had just revealed meant that Godric now knew even more.

"Sookie…what did Salome do?" Godric asked quietly, his blood running cold at the mere mention of her. Salome Agrippa-Northman had once been the love of his life, but over the years she had turned cold and ruthlessly mean. He knew that part of it was his fault, uprooting her from the high society life that she had been living in Sweden to move her and the children to Louisiana for his job, but he was stunned to find out that she may have stooped to an even new low. "Salome and I separated not too long after you left town. I overheard her talking to a few of her friends about some of my more sensitive cases, ones that I trusted her to be confidential about." He fell silent when he saw something flash through Sookie's eyes, anger starting to boil through him as he realized his soon to be ex-wife may have had a hand in Sookie's disappearance from Bon Temps. He also felt anger for the fact that Salome apparently knew about their grandchild and didn't even mention it to him.

Sookie shook her head, moving to pick Jacob up from the bed. "Once I talk to Eric, I promise I'll tell you everything. But I'm not going to have this conversation with you right now," she answered softly, hugging Jacob close. "I already feel horrible enough that Pam found out about Jacob from Tara…I'm not going to hurt Eric even more by giving an explanation to someone else first," she added, her features softening a bit. "I am sorry for not coming to you for help, though. You always were like a father to me."

Godric couldn't help but pull Sookie into a small hug, unconsciously running a hand over Jacob's hair. "I should apologize for the way I acted when I first encountered you earlier. Eric's choices haven't been the best in the past few years," he murmured giving her a little squeeze before backing away. "I'll walk you out."

Sookie nodded as she held Jacob close and grabbed her purse, trying not to let Godric's words get to her. She hadn't expected Eric to not look at other women after she left, didn't expect him to pine away for her until she returned. But hearing it said out loud hit her harder than she expected. "I'm sorry for hurting him like I did," she started as they made their way out of the exam room, setting Jacob down and holding his hand as they walked with Godric. "If I could go back and re-do it, I definitely would do things differently."

Godric smiled as he held open the door to the waiting room, letting out a small laugh as he saw Jason and Hoyt fighting over the remote to the small TV in the room. "Some things never change, I see," he said with a raised brow as the two men scrambled to their feet, shaking his head slightly as he got down to Jacob's level. "It was nice to meet you, Jacob. Try leaving the monkey stunts to the monkeys and your Uncle Jason, though," he said with a grin, reaching in his pocket to pull out a lollypop from his stash that he kept for his patients. "Only with mom's permission," he said playfully as he handed it to the toddler, ruffling his hair one more time before standing up. "I'd say let me know when you talk to Eric, but I'm sure I'll know once you do."

"Talk to Eric about what?" a voice from behind the group said, causing all four adults to quickly turn around and hide Jacob behind them.

"Mother trucker," Sookie grumbled under her breath as she saw a confused looking Eric standing there. "What are you doing here, Eric? Shouldn't you be at the club by now?"

Eric shook his head, reaching into his pocket as he started to move closer to the group. "Pam's opening tonight and I'll go in a little later. Hoyt said Jason just bashed his hand in the car door again, so I went home to get some stuff done. I was cleaning out my car when I found your cellphone in there, Sook," he stated, pulling her missing cellphone out of his pocket. "Wanna tell me why all four of you are so jumpy?"

Sookie reached for her phone, cursing softly as her finger hit the lock button and her phone lit up. She knew her background photo was one of her and Jacob, but let out a sigh of relief when she realized Eric hadn't noticed it. "I owe you a talk…but this is not the place, Eric. I'll meet you out at your car," she said softly, well aware of all of the strangers in the waiting room that were trying to listen in on the commotion. She gave him a pleading look when he started to protest, letting out a sigh of relief when he relented and walked towards the exit. She dropped down to Jacob's level, pressing a kiss to his forehead before giving him a big hug. "Mama needs to go take care of something, baby. Uncle Jase and Hoyt are gonna take you for ice cream, and then you're gonna spend some time with Uncle Jase and Aunt Tara." She felt bad for foisting her son off on her brother so soon after him being injured, but she needed to talk to Eric and she needed to do it now.

* * *

Eric leaned against his car as he waited for Sookie to emerge from the hospital, his hands shoved in the pockets of his jeans. He'd been surprised earlier when he'd returned with his car to pick up Sookie, only to find Hoyt nervously waiting for him in the waiting room. After being told that Jason's 'accident' was merely just Jason being a klutz, Eric had reluctantly gone back to the house that he shared with his father and sister. Apartment hunting hadn't been high on his list while he was working on getting the club open, but it was now moving higher. He'd been surprised to find Sookie's phone in his car after he'd decided to give it a good once over, not hesitating before making the drive back to the hospital. He shot off a quick text to Pam as he waited, confirming that she was at the club and ready to open for the night.

Eric looked up as he heard the hospital doors open, pushing away from the car as he saw Sookie walking towards him. "Are you finally going to tell me why you ran?" he finally asked after a few moments of silence, deciding that he'd had enough of skirting around the subject with her. He'd made a mistake by kissing her earlier, acting like nothing bad had happened, but now he wanted the truth.

"Not here," Sookie said as she yanked open the passenger door and got in, thankful when Eric did the same and began to drive. She didn't say anything until they'd made the short drive back to his family's house, setting her purse down on the table by the door. "I didn't want to hold you back, Eric. You were settling for me, and you damn well know it," she finally said after the two had stared at each other in silence.

"That's complete bullshit, Sookie. Don't try and feed me that garbage," Eric bit out, running a hand through his hand in exasperation. "I don't settle. When I find something or someone that I want, I do everything in my power to make sure I hold onto it or them," he added, eyes blazing.

Sookie held her head high as she stared back at him, the same fire burning in her eyes. "Then why didn't you tell me you got accepted to Harvard, too? I know I couldn't make the tuition work, but that was your _dream school_ , Eric! You seemed so happy to go to LSU with me, yet you hightailed it to Boston the moment you realized I wasn't coming back. Clearly I was holding you back."

Eric's eyes narrowed at Sookie's words, trying to sort through his confusion. He _hadn't_ told Sookie about the original Harvard acceptance; only his parents and sister knew about that. " _You_ left _me_ , Sook! Once Jason told me you weren't coming back, I couldn't stay here and be reminded of you every single day. And I wasn't settling, damnit! You were it for me, Sook; The whole fucking package. I had a ring and everything. I was going to ask you to move in with me, and then I was going to ask you to be my wife. Don't you _dare_ tell me I was settling."

Sookie could barely breathe as she processed Eric's words, leaning back against the foyer wall for support. "You don't mean that. We were just some silly teenage romance, Eric. There was no way you wanted to spend your life with me. I wasn't fit for someone like you," she whispered, blinking back the tears that were threatening to fall. Sure, marrying Eric had been all she'd thought about during their time together…but she knew that it wasn't something that would likely happen. "Why would you want to saddle yourself with someone who was from a completely different world than you?"

"Because I loved _you_ , damnit! And at one point you claimed to love me, too. And not for my money, like every other girl that I tried to forget you with," Eric replied as he moved closer to Sookie, bracing his arms on either side of her head as he stared down at her. "I have tried to erase you from my life, Sookie Stackhouse, but you cling to me like a burr. I shouldn't love you as much as I still do, but I do. Now tell me why you _really_ left," he demanded softly, his face only inches away from hers.

Every logical fiber in Sookie's body was telling her to distance herself from Eric and finally tell him the truth about why she had left and who had helped her make that decision…but she apparently had a few _illogical_ ones that her brain decided to favor more. "Make me," she bit out challengingly as she stared up at him, chest heaving slightly as she forced herself to take deep and ragged breaths. They stared at each other in silence for a few moments, then, as if choreographed, both moved so that their lips crashed against each other's.

Against her better judgement Sookie wrapped her arms around Eric's neck, pulling her body flush against his as their mouths raged a battle against each other. She couldn't help the soft moans that escaped her as his tongue teased her lips, couldn't help twining her fingers in his hair as she parted said lips and allowed his tongue in to dance with hers.

Eric let out a groan of his own as their tongues touched, his hands moving down to grip Sookie's hips. Part of his brain was yelling at him to stop acting like a lunatic and demand answers from her, but the other part of his brain (and a certain part of his anatomy) was rejoicing in the fact that she was so close again. Without giving it much thought he moved his hands to her ass, lifting her up until she wrapped her legs around his waist. He pressed her against the wall again, using his body to hold her up as his hands and lips began to explore her body.

Sookie let out a gasp as she felt Eric move his lips to her neck, her body trembling with need as his hands moved under her shirt and trailed up her back. "Er-Eric. We really need to talk," she managed to whisper, letting out a small moan as he nipped at her neck with his teeth. Her whole body was humming by this point, remembering all too vividly the things that he used to do to her. While they had only been intimate for a month before Sookie had left, the two had spent every chance they got learning each other's bodies and what made them tick. As Eric's mouth moved to her ear and began to tease her earlobe, Sookie realized that he apparently remembered every little thing that set her off. "Enough, Eric!" she finally gasped out as she pushed at him, taking a deep breath as she tried to steady herself on her legs once more. "We can't do this, Eric, whatever _this_ is," she told him as she gestured between the two of them, barely able to look him in the eye as she tried to calm her body down.

Eric ran a hand through his thoroughly tousled hair, flexing his other hand open and closed a little as he tried to calm himself down. The sight of Sookie with swollen lips and flushed cheeks brought back so many memories, memories that made him want to throw her over his shoulder and take her upstairs to his room. "You wanna talk, Sook? Then _talk_. So far I've just been left with more questions than answers," he told her, though he knew he partially was to blame for that. He let hormones take over almost every second of the time that he was with her, but he could tell that there was something big nagging at her. "What won't you tell me?"

Sookie closed her eyes for a few moments, trying to garner the strength that she would need to drop this bombshell on him. Part of her almost wished that Jason hadn't been so loyal to her and had spilled the beans, but she knew that this was her task to take care of. "Three years ago I had a baby, Eric."

Eric was silent as he processed what Sookie had just revealed to him, his heart pounding in his ears as he fought the urge to throw something. "So…what is it that you're trying to tell me? You run off because you think you're holding me back and I won't be happy committing to you, but you get knocked up by the first guy who looks at you?" He instantly regretted letting his anger fuel his words, but he didn't know how else to react. The tears in her eyes told him that his words had hurt her, but he currently felt like he couldn't even be in the same room as her at that moment. "I'm sorry, Sook, but I can't deal with this right now. I'll call Jason to come pick you up," he told her, then turned to make his way into the kitchen.

Sookie was red faced as she watched Eric walk away, failing to keep her tears at bay as she stormed after him. She knew that he wouldn't take this news well, but insinuating that she'd slept with the first man who came her way? That was madness that she just wouldn't stand for. "Eric Jacob Northman, don't you _dare_ walk away from me," she said loudly, cornering him in the kitchen against the breakfast bar. He may have had almost a good foot on her, but she knew her temper sometimes made her seem more ferocious than her height gave away. "And don't you dare try and paint me as some sort of floozy. Haven't you ever wondered where Jason was on your twenty-second birthday?" she asked, crossing her arms over her chest as she watched his brow furrow in confusion.

Eric opened his mouth, but closed it after no words came out after a few seconds. He thought back, remembering how strange it was that his best friend never showed up to the festivities that he had helped plan. At the time he'd figured that Jason had gotten caught up with Tara and it had slipped his mind…but now he remembered how Jason, Tara and Gran had been missing from Bon Temps for a few days that year. They'd been oddly happy once they'd turned back up, but Jason would only divulge that they had gone to visit with Sookie for a little bit. "What are you trying to say, Sook?" he asked softly, his mouth running dry as his mind came to a certain (almost crazy) conclusion.

Sookie silently walked back out to the foyer to retrieve her phone from her purse, taking a deep breath as she unlocked it and pulled up a certain photo before walking back into the kitchen.. "Jason wasn't around because he was in Chicago, with me," she said softly, turning the phone around so that Eric could see the photo of Jason with a newborn Jacob. "He was holding my hand while I gave birth to _your_ son."

* * *

 **A/N: I** ** _know_** **...Me and the damn cliffies again *hides behind hands* I promise for reals this time that the next chapter won't take as long to come out. I need to get cracking on ATLU (since I know how much you guys are craving that story too), and I'm really hoping my laptop comes back fixed soon. I also have a new one-shot in the works (something that I originally started as an original fiction, but didn't get inspiration for until E/S came into my life), as well as a BA tie in piece about Eric and what he was up to the 4 years that Sookie was gone. So...** ** _something_** **will be posted within the next week :-) Until next time, loves!**


	5. Chapter 5

_**A/N: Hey, guys! This one was a bit of a doozy to write, so my apologies for the delay. Had to get myself into the right mindset for a good portion of this chapter, which took some time. As always, I own nothing SVM or TB related. Enjoy!**_

* * *

Bullshit. That was the first thought that ran through Eric's mind after Sookie's bombshell, though a part of him knew that this wasn't something she'd lie about. He was silent for a few moments as he studied her face, hoping to find some sort of emotion that told him everything she had said was one big (and horrible) joke. "How?" he finally asked softly after they'd stared at each other for what felt like ages, the determination (and fear) in Sookie's eyes telling him that what she said was true

Sookie's shoulders sagged in relief at Eric's question, her eyes closing for a few moments as she tried to gather her thoughts. She had braced herself for a fight once she'd finally told Eric, especially given his earlier accusation, so the almost silent question had thrown her for a loop. "It's completely my fault," she started, holding up a hand when he started to protest. "Don't give me that 'it takes two to tango' bullshit, Eric. Remember how I caught strep throat from Arlene Fowler's kids the week before my senior prom? Well...I finished up my prescription for antibiotics a day or two before the prom and I completely forgot that-"

"Antibiotics dull the effectiveness of birth control," Eric finished softly, running a hand over his face. "I'm just as much at fault as you, Sook. I'm the son of a doctor. If anything, _I_ should have remembered." If ever there was a time that she could have gotten pregnant, prom definitely was it. After initially taking things slow and learning each other's bodies, the rest of the night had gone hard and fast. Eric remembered the shower they'd shared after their first love making session, remembered teasing each other until he dropped to his knees and buried his face between Sookie's thighs. He remembered laying back on the bed and helping her straddle him, then holding on as she learned how to ride him in a way that had them both crying out the other's name.

"I'm just as much at fault as you," Eric repeated after a few moments, realizing that Sookie had been staring at him during his trip down memory lane. He ran a hand through his hair, letting out a sigh as he processed all of the information that had just been thrown his way. "So if you found out you were pregnant after you left, why didn't you come back?" he asked softly, unable to help pulling her into his arms. "You know that I would've supported you every step of the way. I would have helped you raise our son."

Sookie buried her face against Eric's chest, squeezing back the tears that were threatening to fall once again. She knew she owed him the absolute truth, after everything she'd put him through…but after everything that she'd put him through, she wasn't sure that she _had_ the heart to tell him the truth. "Eric…that's not exactly how things happened," she murmured, unable to pull her face away from his chest. "When you and Pam flew down to New Orleans to meet with your family lawyer, you asked me why I seemed so sad when we were saying goodbye."

Eric remembered the day that Sookie spoke of vividly. It was the last day that he'd laid eyes on her in almost four years, a day that had haunted his sleep almost every night since she had left. He also remembered that he hadn't been truthful with her that day. While he'd told her that he was going do with Pam to meet the family lawyer to get some of his trust fund figured out, in reality they had been flying down to get the ring he'd planned to propose to Sookie with. It had been sitting in a safe deposit box in New Orleans since he'd gotten home from a trip to see his father's parents. "You looked so sad…like you were really saying goodbye. Looking back on it I figured it was because you already knew you were leaving," he said softly, then his entire body stiffened as he realized exactly _why_ she had seemed so sad. "You knew. You knew you were fucking pregnant and still decided to leave," he whispered, a silent anger starting to roll through him as he pulled away to look her in the eyes. "Why the hell didn't you tell me, Sook? You know I would have stuck by you every step of the way!"

Sookie opened her mouth to respond as tears began to fall down her face, the hurt in Eric's eyes almost too much for her to take. The sound of someone clearing their throat had her whipping her head to the side, her entire body stiffening as she saw who was standing by the foyer doorway. Her hand reached out to grip Eric's as her heart started to pound faster, barely able to keep her legs from collapsing as she heard the voice that had haunted _her_ sleep for almost four years.

"Because I said I would ruin her and her entire family."

* * *

 _Flashback – 06/25/2012_

" _That best be for that trash that your brother's taken up with." Sookie froze as her hand hovered over the store shelf, getting almost light-headed as she shut her eyes for a few moments. The problem with living in a small town was that_ everyone _knew everyone else's business. For exactly that reason, she had traveled almost two hours away complete her errand. But given the fact the owner of the voice was more likely to be found at Neiman Marcus than Walmart, this wasn't a mere coincidence._

" _Trash is a more fitting name for everyone that you keep throwing at Eric, Salome. Not Tara," Sookie said through gritted teeth, her body stiffening as she turned to face Eric's mother. 'Throwing' was probably too kind of a term for all of Salome Agrippa-Northman's antics over the past year. Sookie had lost count just how many times Lorena Compton or Sophie LeClerc had magically turned up and attempted to 'woo' Eric away from her, including the night of prom; even though the girls had been out of Bon Temps High for nearly as long as Eric. It was no secret that Eric's mother didn't approve of him dating Sookie, something that she was constantly reminded of every time she was a guest at the Northman residence. Thankfully Eric's father was on Sookie's side, so he was usually able to provide a good buffer between the two. "Who I'm buying this for is none of your business."_

 _Salome raised a brow as she studied the girl that had managed to wheedle her way into both of her children's lives. Even if Eric hadn't chosen to start a relationship with the lower-class teen, she knew that Pamela valued her friendship. While she had been fine with the friendships with the Stackhouse siblings when her children were younger, she knew that Eric's head was now filled with notions of settling with the girl who had reeled him in. His intentions had been cemented the week earlier when she had found his acceptance letter to Harvard in the trash. She'd gone head to head with her son over the discovery, his decision of going for his MBA wherever Sookie decided to do her undergrad studies causing her to see red. She refused to let her son throw his life away over someone she deemed as a nobody, so she'd decided to take matters into her own hands._

 _She'd driven to the Stackhouse residence, only to learn from Jason that Sookie had left for Monroe minutes earlier. While Salome wasn't a fan of the idea of driving that long of a distance, being able to confront the girl outside of the prying eyes of Bon Temps made the notion a little more enjoyable. She'd easily caught up with the teen's ugly car on the highway, grudgingly following behind into the Walmart parking lot. Salome was glad they_ weren't _anywhere near Bon Temps, because she would have died on the spot if Caroline Compton or Josephine LeClerc had spotted her walking into the store. She followed behind Sookie, planning to convince the girl to have a conversation with her somewhere quieter, only to see the teen stop in front of the family planning section._

 _Salome held her tongue as she watched Sookie stare at the various products on the shelves, only speaking up when she saw the hand reach towards her worst nightmare; a pregnancy test. "If you're buying that for yourself, then it most certainly_ is _my business, Susannah. Unless you've been warming a bed other than my son's," she bit out, choosing to use the girl's given name rather than her foolish nickname. "Even then, you could always try to trick my son into thinking it was his. I can't have that, now can I?"_

 _Sookie barely reigned in her anger at Salome's words, her body almost shaking with all of the emotions flooding through her. "I have_ not _been with anyone other than Eric. And even if I had been, I would_ never _try and trap him with a child that isn't his. I love him, Salome. I know that may be a hard concept for you to understand, but your son is my world," she whispered loudly, aware of the fact that other shoppers were starting to cast glances on the duo. "Now what the hell are you doing following me?"_

 _Salome straightened her posture, adopting a stance that she hoped proved commanding to the younger girl. "Regardless of what that test reads, I want you gone from Bon Temps; permanently," she said, taking pleasure in seeing Sookie pale a little bit. "Eric and Pamela are flying to New Orleans tomorrow to run some little errand, as you know. I want you gone before they get back."_

 _It was Sookie's turn to straighten up, refusing to back down from this fight. "Why would I go and do that? You don't scare me, Salome. I've known you for over ten years. You may think that you hold some sort of power over us 'lower-class' peons, but you don't," she said evenly, though she was doing her best to fight back tears that were threatening to fall. "Give me one good reason why I should walk away from the best thing that has ever happened to me."_

 _Salome couldn't help but smirk at the younger girl, reaching into her purse for a small leather bound book. She had been sitting on this gem for years, but had never felt the need to use the information that it contained until now. "I know_ all _about you, Susannah. Even the secrets involving your 'loving' Uncle Bartlett."_

 _Sookie swallowed hard as she looked at the book in Salome's hand, recognizing it as one of Dr. Northman's journals. She knew that he often jotted down notes from cases that troubled him most, seeing it as an outlet for his thoughts. Since Godric was the only pediatrician living in town, pretty much any child under the age of 18 was a patient of his at one point or another; the Stackhouse siblings included. And he was who Gran had turned to when she realized that Bartlett Hale had been molesting Sookie off and on for the few years following Corbett and Michelle Stackhouse's deaths. Adele had fought with Godric over going to the police, him citing his ethics and her citing Sookie's well-being. If word got out in their small town, life for Sookie would most likely be unbearable. They'd come to an agreement on turning him into the police in Shreveport, rather than Bon Temps, and Bartlett Hale had faded into the shadows of Sookie's past; until now._

" _I told Eric all about him nearly six months into our relationship, so there's no use trying to paint me as some sort of 'damaged goods'," Sookie murmured, remembering the almost painful conversation she'd had with her boyfriend. She'd decided to go for full disclosure with Eric when she realized that her past was holding her back from truly enjoying her time with him, so she'd told him_ everything _that had happened to her from age seven until age ten. While he had been angry that she hadn't trusted him enough to turn to him for help or to go to her brother, he was even more angry with himself for having not noticed how guarded Sookie had been as a child. He'd shed tears of his own as he held her, telling her that no one would ever hurt her again; including him. "You don't have anything in there that he doesn't know."_

 _Salome's smirk grew bigger as she tucked the book into her purse, knowing she was going to thoroughly enjoy what she was about to do next. "Eric may know, but what about the rest of Bon Temps? It would be so,_ so _easy to let this little piece of information slip at book club tomorrow afternoon. You know gossip spreads like wildfire in a small town. How do you think people are going to look at you, look at your_ grandmother _, after all this gets out?"_

 _Sookie's stomach leapt into her throat at that moment, what little she had managed to eat for breakfast threatening to make an appearance on Salome's shoes. She took a moment to swallow the bile back down and steady herself, lifting her head high as she stared back at the older woman. "You wouldn't dare," she whispered, clenching her hands at her side as she stood her ground. "I know you can be an evil and manipulative bitch, especially when it comes to your children, but you wouldn't dare do something like that. Hurting me, hurting my family…that would only make Eric hate you more. Contrary to what you think, I am_ not _holding him back."_

 _Salome resisted the urge to slap Sookie for her vile words, knowing that the action would garner them even more attention than they already had. Her words weren't lies, for Salome knew her children favored their father more than her, but hearing them out loud made the fact even more true. "I'd do this because I love my son and only want what's best for him. You think you fit that bill? Then tell me why he turned down Harvard for you?_ What _is so special about Sookie fucking Stackhouse that caused him to toss out nearly a full ride to his dream school?" She saw Sookie's eyes widen at her words, causing her to laugh softly. "Ah, I see. He didn't even tell you, did he? He didn't want you to know that he was giving up his dreams, since you didn't have the funds to go with him."_

 _The tears that Sookie had been fighting began to fall slowly, her head pounding as she tried to process this new information. Eric had told her he had been waitlisted for the school of his dreams last week, when Sookie had received an acceptance letter. She had also applied to the school in Boston, knowing that only a miracle in the form of winning the lottery would allow her to go there with him. When her letter had stated that the school would only offer her a few thousand dollars per school year, she knew that sticking with her original plan of LSU would be best. She'd never asked to see Eric's letter, so she'd fully believed him when he'd said he hadn't officially gotten in._

" _I-I don't know what to say," Sookie replied softly, wiping at her tears. "I know that I love him, and_ he _loves_ me _. Who's to say that we'll last forever, but this is what we are right now. I'm going to give him an out if the test comes back positive. We obviously didn't plan on this happening, so I want him to be able to walk away if that's what he chooses."_

 _Salome rolled her eyes at Sookie's words. "You know he'll always choose you, no matter what. He's been head over heels for you practically from the day that he met you. He practically worships the ground that you walk on. Pamela does too. My son is destined for great things, but he can't achieve them with the life he's planning with you."_

 _Salome's words stung, but only because they reiterated one of Sookie's biggest fears; holding Eric back. She'd asked him time and again if being with her was what he really wanted, and she'd believed him when he said yes. But now she realized there was the slight possibility that she_ wasn't _what he wanted. "So what are you proposing I tell him? That I'm most likely pregnant with his child, but I'm gonna take an indefinite trip out of town without him?"_

 _Salome shook her head, her hand reaching back into her purse. "You're not going to tell him_ or _Pamela that you're leaving. Hell, I'd rather you didn't tell_ anyone _. You'll disappear and never set foot in this town or state again. If I hear even a whisper that you're back, I_ will _ruin you." She pulled out her checkbook and openened it, pondering the teen for a moment before starting to write out a check. "I know that money is a bit tight, so starting over in a new place will be rough for you. Hell, you can use some of it to take care of your little problem if you want."_

 _Sookie's hands shot to her stomach, her eyes wide with disgust as she looked at Salome. "I don't want your money, you evil bitch. The fact that you would even_ think _of doing this to your own son makes me sick," she said, then turned and grabbed a test off the shelf. "For Eric's sake, I won't tell him about this conversation…but you better stay away from me and mine," she hissed out, then shoved her way past Salome. Sookie paid for the test and hightailed it for the bathroom, emptying her stomach for what felt like the millionth time that day. She'd been feeling puny for the past week or so, but had attributed it to the stress of finishing high school and prepping for college in the fall. Only when she realized that morning that she was nearly a week late for her period did she start to panic._

 _Sookie's hands shook as she opened the box and removed a test from its foil wrapper, her heart beating wildly as she took the test and then waited the three minutes for the results. She couldn't help the tears when she saw the positive readout, closing her eyes for a few moments as she gathered her thoughts. She needed to tell Eric as soon as possible, but knew that she'd have to wait until later that night. Eric was currently having some super secretive 'man day' with his dad, but they had planned on her staying over that night so that she could go and see him off at the airport the next day._

 _Sookie righted herself and washed up, holding her head high as she made her way out to her car. Her steps faltered when she saw something tucked under her windshield wiper, letting out a stream of curses when she saw a check tucked into a note. '_ Remember that I hold more power than you could ever dream of. Think of this money as the only support you will ever get from my family. Book club starts promptly at 3pm tomorrow. _' Sookie crumpled up the note and check, tossing it into the plastic bag that held her purchase. The items stayed in the bag once she got back to Bon Temps, getting tossed aside as she puttered around the house before helping Gran out with dinner preparations._

 _It was during dinner with Gran and Jason that everything hit her hard. Gran was talking excitedly about the day trip she was going on the next day with her fellow Descendants of the Glorious Dead members, something that she had been looking forward to for weeks. Sookie's heart dropped as she listened to her grandmother's excited conversation, realizing that the same women that she called friends would be the first ones to verbally crucify her once they found out about Bartlett's actions._

 _Sookie knew that Salome's words could have been empty threats, but she was afraid to take that chance. After dinner she excused herself up to her room, taking a few moments to look over the check and note. If, and that was a very big if, she went through with Salome's plan…where would she go? Her eyes fell on a small stack of papers on her desk, her whole body stiffening as she remembered what exactly was in that pile. In addition to Harvard and LSU, she'd also gotten accepted to Northwestern;_ her _dream school. But, as with Harvard, she wouldn't be able to make tuition work._

 _Sookie took a deep breath and pulled the Northwestern letter out of the pile, blinking back tears as she looked down at it. With the money from Salome, not that she_ wanted _to take it, she would be able to cover what the scholarships and grants couldn't…and then some. Even if she couldn't find a decent paying job, she'd still have a nice chunk to help when the baby came. She let out a shaky breath as she pulled the crumpled check out of the shopping bag, gritting her teeth as she looked down at it. She loved Eric with all of her heart, but she loved her Gran more. She couldn't be the one responsible for making Gran's life in Bon Temps hell, and part of her knew that Salome would most likely make good on her threats. She also didn't want to be the one holding Eric back, if he really was just settling._

 _Which was why less than 24 hours later, with Gran off with the DGD and Jason off at work, Sookie Stackhouse packed up her entire life and ran._

* * *

 _Present Day_

Eric instinctively stepped in front of Sookie after he heard the familiar voice, his eyes narrowing as they fell on the figure. "Mother. What are you doing here, and what the hell are you talking about?" he hissed out, giving Sookie's hand a little squeeze. His mother, having separated from his father a few years prior, was usually off jet-setting. Recently she had emailed to say that she was in Sweden visiting her parents, so he was quite surprised to see her standing in the kitchen with them.

Salome set her purse down on the kitchen table, crossing her arms over her chest as she cast her gaze upon her son and the girl who had always been a thorn in her side. "I decided to surprise you and Pamela by stopping by to check out your little club, but wanted to drop off my luggage first. I wasn't expecting you to be here, and I'm even more surprised to see Susannah. What…was one hundred thousand dollars really only good for barely four years?"

Eric heard Sookie let out a sound that sounded strangely like a growl, giving her hand a small squeeze as he looked back at her in confusion. "Just how many of those free first class drinks did you have, Mother? You're talking more nonsense than normal," he stated stiffly, raising a brow as he looked at his mother. "You know you're not allowed here without Dad giving the 'okay', and I'm pretty sure he had no idea that you were showing up," he added, mentioning one of the stipulations of his parents' separation. "You probably should check into the Hilton or something."

Salome waved a hand dismissively at Eric, then brushed some invisible lint off of her pants. "The only nonsense is her," she started, nodding at Sookie, "being here. But since she is, I guess I can go do some catching up with Caroline and Josephine. There's some gossip that I have been just _waiting_ to tell them," she finished with a little smirk, moving to grab her purse off the table.

Sookie clenched her fists tightly, anger rolling through her body. "Your threats mean nothing now, Salome. Gran is gone. I personally don't care what people think of me, so gossip all you fucking want," she hissed out, moving out from behind Eric. "I'm done hiding from you, done hiding my son from those he should know. I'm not done hating you, though, so you have ten seconds to leave before I do something else that I may regret."

Eric pulled his car keys from his pocket and slipped them into Sookie's hand, giving the top of her head a small kiss as he stared at his mother. "I don't know what's going on here, but I _am_ going to get answers. Take my car and go home, Sook. I'll escort Salome in her rental to wherever she wants to go, then take a cab to your place," he said softly, not missing the look on his mother's face when he chose to call her by her first name. He now knew something had happened between the two women that caused Sookie to run, and he wasn't going to back down from finding out exactly what that was.

* * *

A couple of hours later Eric let out a sigh and paid the cab driver, slowly getting out and making his way up to Jason's front door. He'd gotten a text from his friend stating that Sookie was at his house instead of hers, so Eric had made that his destination. He'd gotten a mouthful from his mother about Sookie's 'true colors' on the ride to the Hilton, and now he wanted to hear Sookie's side of things. He barely got to the door when it swung open, raising a brow as a nervous looking appeared on the other side. "I'm not going to yell at her, Jase. I just want to hear her side of things. Salome already said her piece, but I'm fairly certain whatever she told me was only partially true."

Jason let out a sigh of his own, stepping back to let Eric into the house. "She hasn't had it easy the past few years, man. You know she wouldn't hide things from you without good reason," he said, moving slowly through the house towards the guest bedroom. He knocked softly on the closed door, then backed up when Tara opened the door and moved out into the hallway with them.

"You gonna do anything that'll make that girl cry more than she already has today?" Tara asked Eric, crossing her arms over her chest. "I'm not above giving you a smack upside the head, if you do," she added, glaring at Jason when he let out a little snort. "Don't you start with me, Stackhouse. I'm still mad at you for not telling me _or_ Sookie that you've been working for Eric."

Eric leaned down to kiss the top of Tara's head, taking her gently by the shoulders. "You've done good protecting her over the years, T. I promise that I'm not going to let you down," he murmured, moving into the bedroom after Tara nodded her head a little. He shut the door behind him and moved quietly across the room, fully aware of the fact that Sookie was curled up with a smaller figure on the bed. He slipped off his shoes and laid down behind Sookie, barely holding in a gasp as he peered over her shoulder at the sleeping toddler. "He looks just like you, Sook," he whispered, pressing a kiss to her temple as he instinctively curled his body around hers.

Sookie let out a little snort as her fingers gently played with Jacob's hair, closing her eyes for a few moments as she savored Eric's closeness. She knew his mother probably would tell him _all_ about why she'd left, so she hadn't been sure what type of mood he'd be in when he finally showed up. "You're probably the only one who thinks that, Eric. He's practically a clone of you; _everyone_ can see that," she told him softly, remembering the look on Hoyt's face that morning. "I had to hide him when we were in town before Gran died and during her services. One look at him and it would have been all over the gossip mill by the end of the day." She shifted slightly, smiling when Eric's arm wrapped around her waist. "I told him you were coming by, but I'm not sure he fully understood what I was saying. It's been just me and him for so long, that the concept of 'daddy' just…" She trailed off when she felt Eric's arm tighten a little around her waist. "I never wanted to hurt you, Eric. I knew that I _would_ be hurting you, but that was never something I was actively trying to do."

Eric nodded slightly, unable to help burying his face in Sookie's hair. "My mother told me her, most likely horrendously wrong, version of what happened," he told her after a few minutes, absentmindedly running his fingers up and down her arm. "Since she said that you cheated on me with Bill Compton and blackmailed her into not telling, I'm quite interested in hearing your version of things."

Sookie rolled her eyes as she pulled the sleeping Jacob closer to her body, kissing the top of his head before opening her mouth to tell Eric exactly what had happened four years ago. She was grateful that he stayed quiet as she spoke, though she felt his arm tighten around her a few different times. When she was finally done she had to blink back tears, taking a few deep breaths as she let Eric process her words. "After everything Gran had done for me, I couldn't let your mother smear her name. Gran didn't know about my true reason for running until a couple of days before she died. She would've told me to suck it up and come home sooner…but I couldn't let the town and people that she loved turn their backs on her. Even on her death bed, she gave me hell for keeping it from her," she said softly, turning so that she could look at Eric. "I am _so_ sorry, Eric," she started when she saw the tears in his eyes, burying her face against his chest. "I never wanted to hurt you. I almost flew to Boston to tell you, but I was always afraid that your mother would have eyes there too."

Eric let out a sigh as he gently rubbed Sookie's back, holding her close as he tried to process all of the information that had been given to him. Four years he had spent trying to figure out why Sookie had disappeared, and the fact that his mother had been the cause of all of his unhappiness made him seriously want to punch something. "You were protecting yourself and those you love. Never apologize for that, Sookie," he murmured, pressing his lips to the top of her head. "I _am_ angry that I missed out on so much…but I'm not angry at you. I could never be angry at you, Sunshine," he told her, leaning back a little so that he could brush his lips over hers.

Sookie softly returned Eric's kiss, letting out a sigh of contentment as she pulled away after a few moments. "I should probably get him home. He was excited about spending time with his favorite aunt and uncle, but he also has been clinging to me since I got here," she murmured as she sat up, letting out a small laugh as Eric also sat up and pulled her to sit in between his legs. "You're more than welcome to come with, though I know you probably need to go spend some time at the club. I also understand if you need time to figure stuff out on your own."

Eric shook his head, leaning down to kiss the side of Sookie's neck. "Pam can handle things there for the night. We have a lot to talk about and I need to spend time catching up with you and…" He trailed off, letting out a small laugh. "Is it bad that I still have yet to ask you what our son's name is?"

Sookie let out a laugh of her own as she wiggled out of Eric's arms, getting off the bed and moving around to the other side. "I think it's safe to say that you've had a lot on your mind today," she said as she leaned down to shake Jacob awake, smiling as the toddler grumbled slightly as he opened his eyes. "Hey there, little man," she murmured as she picked him up from the bed, laughing softly as he tried to hide his head and look at Eric at the same time. "No need to be shy, monkey…it's just your daddy," she whispered as she walked around to the side of the bed that Eric was sitting on, sitting the two of them down next to Eric. "And this, Eric, is your son…Jacob Corbett."

* * *

 _ **A/N: And there's that :-) I played around with Eric's reaction quite a bit, but I had a hard time writing him as being pissed at Sookie. I imagine that he**_ **is _pretty upset, but not directly at her. We'll be delving a little more into his thoughts on everything next chapter. I'm also thinking that this will be nowhere near as long as ATLU is turning out to be...maybe only another few chapters or so. There are a couple more scenarios that I have been imagining for a while, so I'm dying to get those into this story. Until next time, loves!_**


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: Oh hey...it's me again! Sorry for the disappearing act on this one. Life got in the way (wisdom tooth surgery, birthdays, buying a car, a 9-5 that felt much longer), and I wanted to be sure that I could give this the right amount of attention before posting. Some exciting news about this story, which I still can't believe, is that it got nominated for a couple of You Want Blood Awards! Thank you to everyone who nominated me, and even more thanks to those who have stuck it out with me :-) And a big hello to those who found me through the nomination link! I own nothing TB or SVM related. Enjoy!**

* * *

"How long have you known?"

"That Sook was pregnant when she left? Not until that Thanksgiving…so, about five months after? Jason answered, handing Eric a beer before sitting down next to him on Sookie's front steps. They'd realized that the car seat from Jason's truck wasn't going to fit into Eric's two seater, so he'd given Sookie and Jacob a ride back to the farmhouse and Eric had followed. "Sookie told Gran pretty soon after she left, but Tara and I didn't find out until the three of us went out to Chicago for the holidays. That was definitely a bit of a shock," he added with a smile, taking a sip of his beer.

"Now, your mother running her out of town? None of us knew about that until a few days before Gran died." Jason laughed softly to himself, remembering that day vividly. "I'd never seen Gran so fired up, and that's even after dealing with _us_. Pretty sure if it wasn't for a nurse coming in to do rounds, she would have tanned Sookie's hide something fierce." He then got quiet, taking a few sips of his beer before speaking again. "Did you know about what our uncle did to her?"

Eric nodded, taking a sip of his own beer. He remembered the day that Sookie had told him everything that had happened to her as a child, remembered holding her close as she cried for what had felt like forever. He wasn't ashamed to admit that he had cried with her as well, hating that she had gone through something like that and felt like she couldn't tell him or Jason. "She didn't want to hurt you," he murmured, remembering one of the reasons Sookie had given him for not telling Jason about what Bartlett had done. "She knew how much you idolized the scumbag, so she kept it to herself. And when he went to prison without you knowing, she said you were heartbroken that he just up and disappeared. She didn't want to tarnish your memories of him."

Jason sighed, resting his head against the porch railing. "She always did look out for everyone else more than herself," he said softly, taking another long pull of his beer. "It took me a little bit before I stopped blaming myself about what happened to her, you know? Like…maybe if I had done something different, the old man would've taken more of an interest in me and left Sook alone."

"That's possibly the biggest crock of bull I have ever heard coming out of your mouth, Jason Stackhouse, and I lived with you for more than half my life," Sookie said from the doorway, raising a brow as both men visibly started at the sound of her voice. "I told you then, and I'm telling you now; what happened, _happened_. No use beating yourself up over what we can't change," she added, crossing her arms over her chest as she leaned against the doorway. "You two boys about done out here? Jacob's about to go down for the night and wanted to say goodnight."

Jason excused himself to go see his nephew, pressing a kiss to his sister's cheek as he passed her. Sookie moved to sit down next to Eric, smiling as he wrapped an arm around her shoulders and pulled her close. "Why are you being so good to me?" she finally asked after a few moments, sighing softly as she felt him stiffen slightly. "I'm not trying to start anything, Eric…but if I was in your place, I would be roaring mad right now."

Eric let out his own sigh, turning his head to press a soft kiss to her hair. "I'll be honest, Sookie…there is a rage in me that I'm working to keep under control at the moment; but not towards you. What my mother did to you, to us, is completely unforgiveable," he murmured, pulling her onto his lap so that she was facing him. "I lost nearly four years with you and our son. Being mad at and holding it against you isn't going to make it any easier," he added softly, shaking his head as he saw tears start to form in her eyes. "No tears, Sunshine."

Sookie rested her forehead against Eric's as she wrapped her arms around his neck, closing her eyes to try and stop the tears from falling. "I am so sorry, Eric," she murmured over and over again as his arms wrapped around to hold her close, burying her face in his neck as he began to rock her slightly. "I should've told you everything the moment it happened. I shouldn't have run."

Eric shook his head as he rubbed a hand up and down Sookie's back, murmuring soft endearments to her as she cried. "Sookie…there's nothing you could have done that would've caused a better outcome than what's already happened. I always knew that Salome was a bit shady when it came to certain things, but I didn't realize how bad things were until after you left." He paused for a moment, pressing a kiss to the top of her head. "I, without a doubt, can say that she probably would've made good on her threats…if not worse. Four years of pain and heartache, knowing that you were safe and out of her clutches, is well worth it."

Jason cleared his throat at that moment, announcing his presence on the front porch. "I think I'm gonna head out, guys. Tara's still a bit peeved at me, so I've got some groveling to do," he said sheepishly, reaching a hand down to ruffle Sookie's hair. "Love ya, sis. Eric, I'll swing by the club tomorrow to see my handiwork in full swing," he added, giving a little wave before down the steps towards his truck.

Sookie watched over her shoulder as her brother got into his truck, giving a little wave of her own as he backed down the driveway. "If that boy knows what's good for him, he'll tack a foot rub onto whatever it is that he's got planned," she said with a smile, letting out a laugh as Eric stood up with her still wrapped around him. "And where do you think you're going?"

Eric grinned as he brushed his lips over Sookie's, settling his hands on her behind as he moved them into the house. "I was thinking about how I want to help tuck our son in for the night, then maybe give you one of those foot rubs that I know _you're_ so fond of."

Sookie let out a small groan as she bit her bottom lip, her heart speeding up a little bit at the notion. Eric had quite possibly _the_ perfect hands for back and foot rubs, something that he'd gladly done for her many times while they'd dated. After prom night, though, foot rubs had usually led to full body rubs; of the naked variety. "Just the feet tonight, Eric. We've gotta take things slow," she murmured, wiggling a little until he set her on her feet. "I told you it was always just me and Jacob, and that's the truth. As easy as it would be for us to just pick up where we left off, I don't want to make things confusing for Jacob. Hell…I don't even know if you even _want_ to pick up where we left off."

Eric wanted nothing more than to pick up where they'd left off, wanted nothing more than to spend hours relearning every inch of her body. But he understood what Sookie meant. It wasn't just them now; they had someone else to think about. "I most certainly want to pick up where we left off, Sookie. I've thought of nothing else these past four years," he answered softly, brushing a stray strand of hair out of her eyes. "You're right, though. I know Jacob's probably already freaked out by the move. We'll take this at whatever speed you want us to go."

Sookie nodded with a grateful smile, her heart singing as she went up on her toes to give Eric a lingering kiss. "Thank you for being so understanding. I know this is all crazy, and I still feel like you should hate me right now…but being with you is the only thing that's ever felt right to me. I just don't want to mess this up again."

"Impossible," Eric responded with a grin, giving Sookie a small kiss before taking her hand and walking upstairs with her. He stopped in the doorway as she went to tuck Jacob into his toddler bed, hands shoved in his front pockets as he tried to gather his thoughts. "He sure is a tall one," he murmured after a few moments, giving a sheepish wave as he noticed Jacob curiously staring at him while resting his head on Sookie's lap.

Sookie rolled her eyes with a small laugh, waving Eric closer. "He's three, Eric. He's not gonna bite you," she told him with a twinkle in her eye, watching as he pulled over the rocking chair to sit next to the bed. "And yes…he definitely didn't get his mama's height. He was pushing ten pounds by the time I decided to evict him. All twenty-three inches of him decided to curl up the opposite of how he was supposed to be, so we had to do a C-section," she said, a hand absent-mindedly rubbing at her stomach where her scar was. "Thankfully Gran, Jason and Tara had already flown into town. I wouldn't have been able to do it without them there," she murmured as her fingers played with Jacob's hair, smiling as she watched him watch Eric as he rested his head on her lap. "You gonna say goodnight to your daddy, little man?"

Eric's heart clenched a little as he heard the quiet 'goodnight', blinking back tears as he leaned over to ruffle Jacob's hair. "Goodnight, little man. I'll see you tomorrow," he whispered, giving Sookie an apologetic look before excusing himself from the room. He held his emotions in check until he made it to the room that he knew Sookie was using as her bed room, then let the tears trickle down his cheeks as he sat down on the bed. "I can't believe I wasn't there with you. I can't believe I've missed so much," he gasped out as he wiped at his face, looking up as he heard Sookie come into the room a few minutes later.

Sookie's heart broke when she saw how defeated Eric looked, rushing over to climb into his lap to comfort him. "Hey now…if I can't cry, neither can you," she murmured as she gently kissed away some of his fallen tears, desperately trying to hold back tears of her own. "We can't change what happened, no matter how much I wish we could. We been dealt our hand, Eric. All we can do now is make sure we don't take any other moment for granted."

Eric wrapped his arms around Sookie, pulling her close as he buried his face against her neck. "I know I promised you slow, Sunshine…but I need you so damn much right now," he murmured huskily as he began to kiss her neck, his heart leaping in his chest as he felt her nod and tangle her fingers in his hair. He trailed his kisses up her jaw, pausing to look at her briefly before claiming her lips with his. He'd seen the same look of need in her eyes that he knew was in his, a moan slipping from him as he felt her nip at his bottom lip.

Sookie softly moaned Eric's name as his hands started to tug her tank top up, pulling back briefly to allow him to remove the garment. She had to swallow a protest as he laid her back on the bed, her eyes holding his as his hands ran up and down her sides. She knew her body looked a lot different than the last time they were together, so she was doing her best to not hide herself from his gaze. She closed her eyes as he continued to stare down at her, biting her lip in nervousness as she felt one of his fingers start to trace her surgery scar. She willed herself to open her eyes, the look of wonder and amazement on his face causing her heart to clench. "You're the only one who's seen that, other than my doctor," she whispered, reaching up to rest a hand on his cheek.

Eric's response was to claim Sookie's lips again, his tongue dueling with hers as so many thoughts and emotions swirled through his mind. If he was understanding her correctly, there had never been another after him. The thought of that alone made him want to ravage her, but he willed his body to slow down. There would be time for hard and fast later, but now he wanted to explore every inch of her body. "Every inch of you is still so damn sexy, Sookie," he murmured against his lips as her began to kiss down her body, his lips dancing over her scar as his fingers began to tug at the button of her shorts. "And these damn shorts have been teasing me all flipping day. I swear…it's almost like you haven't bought any new clothes in the past four years," he added as she lifted her hips and allowed him to pull them down, then let out a laugh as she managed to flip them over.

"To be fair…Chicago isn't known for warm temperatures, so new summer clothes haven't been a priority," Sookie teased breathlessly with a small laugh as she straddled Eric's waist in her bra and underwear, her hands reaching down to tug up his shirt. She let out a moan of appreciation as he tossed the garment to the side, her eyes taking in just how kind the years had been to him, "I'm apparently not the only one who has some new curves," she whispered huskily as her fingertips traced his bicep, biting back a laugh as he flipped her under him once more. "You always did like being in control," she murmured as her fingers began to work on his jeans, gasping softly as she felt his fingers slip into her underwear and start to rub at her.

Eric groaned softly when he felt how wet Sookie was, teasing for a few minutes before slowly starting to work a finger into her. The feeling of her clenching around him was almost enough to cause him to lose control of himself, swearing softly as he felt her fingers begin to stroke him in his jeans. "I don't know how much more control I've got in me, Sook," he whispered as he pumped his finger in time with her hand, memorizing every moan and gasp that she made as he watched her face flush. He slipped in another finger and felt her fingers grip him a little tighter, crashing his lips to hers to muffle her yell as he curled his fingers and hit that spot inside of her.

Sookie felt the orgasm crash through her fast and hard as her hand stilled around Eric, gasping his name against his lips as residual tremors ran through her. Sure she'd given herself some love over the years, but _nothing_ had ever felt the same as an Eric-induced orgasm. "I'd like to say that I want to thank whoever helped you refine your technique, but I also may end up punching her," she teased softly, regretting it the moment she saw the look in his eyes. "Hey…it's okay, Eric," she murmured, bringing his face down to kiss him softly. "I know there have been others, and that's okay. I'm the lucky one that gets you now."

"I'm the lucky one, Sunshine," Eric whispered against Sookie lips, pulling away to kick off his jeans. "None of them ever had anything on you. You're the only one that's mattered to me," he added softly as he helped her out of her bra and underwear. "The only one that I'll ever want," he murmured as he settled himself between her legs, gazing down at her with all the love that he still held for her in his eyes. Without another word he began to slowly work himself into her, both of them hissing slightly once he was fully in her. It was taking every last ounce of his control to not start moving against her, knowing that she needed a few more moments to adjust to his size. "Let me know when it's okay to move," he whispered shakily, resting his forehead against hers as he tried to get his body under control.

Sookie's response was to wrap her legs around Eric's waist, causing them both to moan as she pulled him deeper into her. "Move," she whispered, right before his lips claimed hers again. She groaned out his name as his hips began to roll against hers, her nails scratching gently down his back as her hips pushed up to meet his. It wasn't long before she felt the familiar heat begin to coil in her belly, whimpering Eric's name as her lips sought his once more.

Eric felt Sookie start to clench around him, reaching a hand down to tease the bundle of nerves between her legs. "Come undone for me, Sookie," he whispered hoarsely as he felt her body begin to tense, fire burning in his eyes as her body arched at his touch. He felt her go over the edge moments before he did, their mouths muffling each other's cries as pleasure slammed into their bodies. Eric could barely hold himself up as his motions began to slow, letting out a soft moan as he slipped out of Sookie and pulled her close. "Mine," he murmured as he kissed the top of her head, rubbing a hand up and down her back as they both tried to get their breathing under control.

Sookie smiled as she buried her face against Eric's chest, resting a hand over his fast beating heart. "Mine," she echoed softly, letting out a contented sigh. It wasn't long until she drifted off to sleep in Eric's arms, feeling the most at home than she had in a long time.

* * *

A few hours later Eric found himself sitting behind the desk in his work office, pondering the glass of scotch in his hands. He'd grudgingly pulled himself from Sookie's arms after a frantic call from Pam, murmuring promises to meet both her and Jacob for breakfast in the morning. He'd rushed to _Fantasy_ to help sort out a liquor shortage, and now he was reflecting on everything that had happened that day. He'd seen the look in Pam's eyes when he'd mentioned that he had been with Sookie, now knowing that his sister had already met Jacob earlier that day when Hoyt and Jason had returned from their Walmart trip. He knew his sister had many questions about what had transpired, but he was too emotionally exhausted to have that conversation with her at that moment. So he'd retreated to the office with a drink to work on some paperwork, welcoming the relative silence until there was a knock on his closed door. "Come in," he called out, a smile on his face when he looked up and saw his father standing there. "Hey, Dad. I forgot you were going to be stopping by."

Godric smiled as he walked into the office, stretching out on the couch as he looked around the office. "I would have been here for your opening last night, if it wasn't for the overnight rounds," he said with an apologetic smile, the proudness that he felt for his son welling in his chest. "You've done good here, kid," he added, laughing softly as he saw Eric blush a little. His son had never been able to take praise easily. "You worked hard these past few years, and it really shows out there. I'm proud of you and Pam; and happy that you guys turned out okay, despite how much your mother and I may have messed you up."

Eric tensed at the mention of Salome, taking a big sip of his scotch before getting up to pour his father a glass. "Did you know that she was the reason Sookie ran," he asked softly as he handed the glass over, taking notice as he saw his father visibly grow pale. He'd always been close to his father and knew that he could trust him, but there was that small part of him that was wondering just how much Godric Northman knew about his estranged wife's antics. "Though if you ask her, it's all Sookie's fault."

Godric sighed, taking a big sip of his drink. "I knew that Salome was talking to others about some of the things that I wrote down in my journals, but a lot of it was already small town gossip; that's the one of the main reasons for our separation. She agreed to leave town and keep her nose out of our lives as much as possible, in exchange for me not turning her over to the police." He paused, running a hand through his hair. "No matter what she's done, she's still the mother of my children…so I gave her the benefit of the doubt, especially since most of what she told was just confirming what others had already thought. But knowing that she was the reason why you've been so unhappy, knowing that she's the reason why we've never met our son and grandson…I may have to revisit everything."

Eric grinned when Godric mentioned Jacob, rubbing a hand over his heart as his stomach flip-flopped at the mention of his son. "He's possibly the greatest kid I've ever met, Dad, even with that bump on his head," he said with a laugh, remembering the vivid reenactment that Jacob had done earlier in the night. Sookie had nervously explained that there were a few people (Pam, Hoyt and Godric) that knew about Jacob before Eric, but her nervousness was clearly unneeded. Eric had simply just laughed at how life had a mind of its own. "I'm already close to falling in love with him. And God knows I'm already there with Sookie," he murmured, setting his jaw as his eyes met Godric's. "I don't care if you go to the police or not, but I want her far away from what's me and mine. I lost four years of a good life because of her…I'm not going to let her run my life anymore. Pam can see her if she wants, though I doubt she will once she learns of everything, but I'm done."

Godric nodded as he stood up and moved over to where Eric stood, setting his glass down on the desk before pulling his son into a hug. "I always tried to put you and your sister first, even before Salome. I know I slipped up quite a bit, and I'm sorry for that. I'm going to meet with my lawyer first thing in the morning to get some more papers drawn up. It's time for all of this to end." Godric held onto Eric for a few more moments, then let him go and stood back. "I hope that you'll be able to forgive me eventually."

Eric smiled, shaking his head a little. "None of this was your fault, Dad. Besides…Jacob needs a pushover of a grandfather to spoil him rotten. Can't very well do that if I'm mad at you, now can you?" With that, Eric settled in to tell Godric all about his visit with Sookie and Jacob.

* * *

The next morning Sookie pulled into the parking lot of Merlotte's, nervously biting her lip as she turned off the car. She hadn't set foot in her former workplace since the day before she'd run, and she still felt horrible for ditching her job without even a call to her boss. A relieved smile came to her face as Eric's corvette pulled in next to her car, feeling some of her nerves start to fade away as she got out of the car. "I hope you prepared yourself for this. No one from town, other than Hoyt, knows about Jacob. We're going to be the talk of the town the second we walk in there."

Eric knowingly looked towards the windows of the bar, grinning before he turned back to Sookie. "Too late," he murmured as he dipped his head to give her a small kiss, then turned to get Jacob out of his car seat. "Dad's meeting with his lawyer today to see what can be done about Salome. He also is pretty torn up about what happened and is afraid that you hate him," he told Sookie as he swept a still sleepy Jacob into his arms, planting a kiss on the toddler's head before reaching for Sookie's hand.

"Well, you tell him that he's talking crazy talk. I know damn well that your father had nothing to do with what happened, so there's no way I'm holding that against him," Sookie said as she pulled open the door to Merlotte's, swallowing a little as she heard the soft chatter of the patrons fade to silence. "Hello, déjà vu," she whispered as she remembered the same reaction on their first date, then let out a squeal of delight as she saw a familiar figure streaking towards them. "Sam Merlotte, put me down!" she said, laughing as her former boss picked her up and swung her around.

"Sookie Stackhouse, you are a sight for sore eyes! You're also almost four years late for your shift, but I'll let that slide," Sam said with a laugh as he set Sookie down, pulling her into a hug. "You were missed around here, Cher. And I should probably be mad that you've been back for almost a week and are just now coming to see me, but I can see that you've been a bit busy," he added with a knowing look, catching sight of Jacob in Eric's arms. Sam had always been fond of the younger girl, and he knew that she wouldn't have left him high and dry all those years ago without good reason. "Eric, good to see you. Congrats on the new venture," he said with a nod, raising a brow at the toddler that had his head resting on Eric's shoulder. "And who might this little guy be?"

Sookie smiled warmly as all of her nerves faded away, turning to take Jacob from Eric. "This here is Jacob. Jacob, can you say hi to Sam?" she asked, tuning out the chatter that started up again as everyone in the restaurant got a clear look at Jacob's face. She rolled her eyes as eyes as she saw Maxine Fortenberry pull out her cellphone, looking up gratefully as she felt Eric rest a hand on her shoulder. "You mind if we grab a table, Sam? I'd love to catch up with you, but this little guy weighs a ton."

Eric followed Sookie to a booth out of the way of everything, letting out a small laugh as Jacob scrambled down to come over to his side of the booth. While he knew he still had a lot of time to make up with Jacob, he was glad to see that the toddler was starting to feel more comfortable with him. "So what are your plans for today?" he asked Sookie, starting to look over the menu.

Sookie smiled as she watched Jacob settle in with Eric, giving a little wave as Jane Bodehouse walked by the booth. "A friend of mine from school, Jessica Hamby, is coming into town today, so I need to meet her at the airport. Would you be able to hang out with Jacob for a bit, so that I don't need to drag him in at out of the car?" Jessica had been a godsend for Sookie while at Northwestern. The girl, a year younger than Sookie, was an early childhood major and had been Sookie's main childcare provider while at school. When Sookie mentioned that she was going to need to find someone to watch Jacob once she found a job, since Tara and Jason had their own lives going on, Jessica had jumped at the chance to get out of town before her final year of classes. "She watched Jacob for me while I was in class and is on summer break now, so she offered to watch him once I find a job here in town. I'm hoping Sam will take pity and give me my old job back."

Eric furrowed his brow in confusion, ruffling Jacob's hair a little. "Of course, I can watch him today. I'll bring him by the house so that Pam and Dad have some time with him. But why would you want to work here again, Sook? You've got a degree and a hell of a lot more knowledge than what you'd use here. Hell…you'd be more suited to help run the club," he said, then grinned widely. "Would you want to? Help run the club, I mean."

Sookie was speechless for a few moments, trying to process Eric's words. "But there's you and Pam. You don't need another manager getting in the way, Eric," she said softly, though the thought of working at _Fantasy_ excited her a little. She and Eric had always joked about opening a business together once they'd found out they were both planning to major in business, but that had always been just a silly dream. "What could I do there that isn't already being done?"

"Help run the place? You and I both know that Pam likes to socialize more than anything. Plus, I hate doing the payroll and books, and Pam sucks at math…I know you used to help Sam out with that stuff," Eric said with a big smile, reaching across the table to take Sookie's hand in his. "C'mon, Sunshine…you know you want to," he added, throwing in puppy dog eyes for good measure.

Sookie let out a laugh as she rolled her eyes playfully, giving Eric's hand a squeeze. "I'll think about it. I need to talk with Jess too, though I'm sure she'll be fine with it. I was already planning on not working until after Jacob went to bed, so working at the club would fit that. Not making any promises, though," she added as she saw the excited look on Eric's face. She noticed Jacob start to squirm a little, glancing towards the back of the restaurant. "Do you mind taking him to the bathroom for me? It'll give me a few minutes to catch up with Sam." She watched as her two favorite guys set off towards the restrooms, then got up to track down Sam.

"Well, if it isn't Sookie Stackhouse. I'd say you haven't changed, but you've clearly put on some weight. William never said that you'd packed on the pounds when he said that he was dating you," a voice from behind Sookie said, interrupting her apology to same. Even if she hadn't recognized the voice, the look on Sam's face would have told her exactly who was standing behind her. She took a breath and slowly turned around, finding herself face-to-face with two of the biggest thorns in her side.

"Lorena…Sophie. I'd say it was lovely to see you again, but my Gran taught me it wasn't nice to lie to people. Clearly your mama never taught your brother that, Lorena, or he wouldn't be running his mouth," Sookie said with a sigh, crossing her arms over her chest. "I'm only going to say this once, so everyone better be listening. Yes, I made out with Bill Compton when I was drunk…but it was a one-time thing and I am _not_ dating him. Up until last night, the only male that I've had in my bed recently is blond and about three feet shorter than Bill." She noticed both women glance over her shoulder, knowing by the looks on their faces exactly who was standing behind her. "Now if you'll excuse me, I need to get back to breakfast with my son and his father."

Eric held back his laughter until they made it back to the table, pulling Sookie down on his lap as he settled Jacob down next to him. "Your mama sure still is a spitfire, little man," Eric said as Sookie buried her face against his neck in embarrassment, grinning as he called a waitress over so that they could place their orders. "You do realize you just told half the town that I was warming your bed last night, right?" he asked and earned himself a smack on the chest from Sookie, letting out a contented laugh as he settled in for breakfast with his little family.

* * *

 **A/N: So we're quickly winding down to the end of this little ride. Probably 2-3 more chapters left, depending on how the next one goes. While I'm slightly sad to see this one wrapping up, I'm also breathing a sigh of relief. Finishing a multi-chapter story has always been a goal of mine. Definitely couldn't have managed it without you guys!**

 **Also...Godric will be confronting Salome next chapter, which I know is something most of you have been looking forward to! And even though I tried to tie up loose storylines, please let me know in the reviews if there's something from previous chapters that hasn't been addressed yet :-) The breakneck speed of their relationship will also be addressed next chapter, so no worries about them jumping the gun by jumping into bed right away :-P Until next time, loves!**


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: First off...I am so sorry that this took so long to get out! Real life totally got in the way, but I am so happy this is done. I want to thank everyone who voted for this story in the You Want Blood Awards; because of you, Begin Again won second place for favorite All-Human and I won third place for best new author! You guys are simply amazing and I can't thank you enough :-)**

 **I also want to thank the amazing _Asrailefay_ for being my Beta on this! She caught some things that I wouldn't have and was a great sounding board. If you haven't already checked out her stories, I highly recommend them!**

 **As always, I own nothing TB or SVM related.**

* * *

Sookie grinned widely as she saw the familiar red hair in the crowd, practically bouncing with excitement as she waited for her friend to exit the secure side of the airport. "Over here, Red!" she yelled with a wave as she saw the younger girl looking around, letting out a big laugh as she was soon engulfed in a firm hug. "How are you? How was your flight?" she asked as she grabbed Jess' carry-on, linking her arm with the younger girl's as they made their way towards the baggage claim.

Jessica Hamby rolled her eyes, letting out a small laugh as they made their way through the crowds of people. "I get to spend the summer with my two favorite people, instead of my bible-thumping parents. I couldn't get on that plane fast enough, Sook! They're convinced that I'm going to be ruined after spending a couple of months with my heathen single mother of a friend." She scoffed as she darted forward to grab one of her suitcases off the conveyor belt. "Clearly they don't realize that three years at a coed college would take care of that one." She watched as Sookie grabbed for her second suitcase, letting out a small gasp as she saw the bandage on her palm. "What the hell happened to your hand?"

"I broke a plate and cut my hand on one of the pieces when I was picking it up," Sookie answered with a shrug, starting to lead Jess out of the airport. "It's just a few stitches, nothing major," she said with a smile, making her way across the lot to where she was parked.

Jess raised a brow in confusion as Sookie led them to a red sports car, tilting her head in even more confusion as her friend dug keys out of her pocket and popped the trunk. "Ah, Sook? Since I doubt you had some sort of pre-pre-midlife crisis and bought a car that your son's car seat can't even fit in…who the hell does this car belong to?" she asked, helping to load her suitcases into the trunk. "I mean…from what you've described, Bon Temps doesn't seem to harbor people who drive, or can afford to drive, Corvettes."

Sookie let out a small laugh as she shut the trunk, walking around to get in the driver's seat. "You're right about that one," she answered, smiling as she thought of all of the station wagons and pick-up trucks that she saw daily. "The car belongs to someone who lives here in Shreveport; Eric," she said simply as she turned the key, grinning as the engine roared to life.

Jess paused as she was buckling up, a look of pure surprise on her face as she stared at Sookie. "Eric? As in, super sexy baby daddy who was living in Boston _Eric_? What in the hell happened since I saw you last week?!" she exclaimed with a laugh as she settled into her seat, peppering Sookie with questions as they set off towards their destination.

* * *

"You need help with that?" a voice from behind him asked, causing Eric to pause his grumbling and turn around to face his father. "How the hell are you supposed to get _anyone_ out of these things?" he asked in exasperation, gesturing to the car seat that held his son. Sookie had offered to show him how the seat worked when they'd switched cars at Merlotte's, but he'd brushed her off figuring it would be a piece of cake. After ten minutes of struggling and cursing softly under his breath, all while Jacob giggled, he was realizing that it wasn't as easy as he had thought.

Godric couldn't help but laugh as Eric stepped out of the way, giving his son a squeeze on the shoulder as he moved to duck his head in the car. "Hey there, Jacob. It's nice to see you again," he told the toddler with a smile, his hands starting to work on the complex clasp of the car seat. "They've definitely changed them a bit since you and Pam needed one, but the gist is still the same," he said to Eric as he successfully undid the seat and gently pulled Jacob's arms out of the straps. He stepped back so Eric could grab Jacob out the seat, his heart filling with warmth as he saw his grandson rest his head on Eric's shoulder. "I don't think I'll ever get used to how much he looks like your twin."

Eric let out a little laugh, pressing a kiss to the top of Jacob's head. "You and me both, Dad. I'm still in a bit of a fog, my own self," he replied as they made their way into the house, leaning down to set Jacob down on his feet. He smiled as his son instantly wrapped an arm around his leg, watching as he peered up quizzically at Godric. "I heard that you met Dr. Northman yesterday, Jacob. Well, guess what? Like I'm your dad, he's _my_ dad," he said softly, his heart clenching a little as he watched Godric crouch down to Jacob's level. Sookie had told him that Jacob took a little while to warm up to new people, so he was glad that Jacob had seemed so comfortable with him. He was also pleased to see that Jacob seemed to be doing okay with Godric.

"And that, little one, makes me your grandfather," Godric added with a smile, tentatively holding out a hand to Jacob. He watched as Jacob looked at him, then looked up at Eric with hesitation. After a small nod from his father, Jacob slowly reached out his own hand and grasped Godric's offered one. Godric's face lit up as he pulled Jacob close, grinning as he felt little arms go around his neck. " _Min lilla barbarn_ ," he whispered as he stood up with the toddler in his arms, sharing a look of sadness with Eric as he thought about the time they both had lost with Jacob. "Let's go out and sit by the pool with a snack," he suggested, letting out a small laugh as Jacob's eyes lit up. "I take it you also have your _Far's_ appetite."

Eric couldn't help but laugh as they made their way into the kitchen, leaning against the counter that Jacob sat on as they watched Godric move about. "For his sake, I hope his height ends up somewhere in between mine and Sookie's." He watched as his father laid out the ingredients for Ants on a Log, smiling a little as he remembered how much _he'd_ loved that snack as a child. Jacob eagerly took the raisins from Godric when offered, carefully placing some on each peanut butter covered piece of celery. "Nice work, little man!" Eric said once the task had been completed, smiling widely when he saw how excited his son had been to help out. "You help your mom out quite a bit at home, don't you?" he pondered, getting a small nod from the young boy. "I'm glad she has you to help her out," he murmured, pressing a kiss to the top of Jacob's hair as he lifted him off the counter.

Godric led them out back to the pool area, setting the plate of snacks down on the patio table. "Your sister should be back shortly, Eric. When I mentioned that you were bringing Jacob by, she decreed that our house wasn't fit for a toddler…whatever that means," he said with a laugh, settling himself in a chair. He set a couple pieces of celery on a smaller plate and scooched it over to rest in front of Jacob, smiling at the boy as he began to dig into his snack. "I can't say I've ever seen your sister this excited about having a child around. Remember when the Gainesboroughs dropped by and Pam was terrified of little Nora?"

"That's because the little twit had once managed to get into my makeup and smear lipstick all over my vanity. I wasn't sure what other chaos she could cause," Pam supplied from the doorway, letting out a laugh as saw Jacob struggle to get down from his seat. "There's my favorite teacup," she said with a grin as she crouched down, pulling Jacob into her arms after he ran at her. She saw the looks of confusion her father and brother gave her, shrugging as she stood with Jacob on her hip. "He's like a tiny version of Eric. It works," she added, nuzzling her nose against her nephew's neck.

To say Pam had been in shock when Jason and Hoyt had returned the day before would be an understatement. Even though Tara had shown her the photo of Jacob at _Fantasy_ , nothing could have prepared her for meeting her brother's child face-to-face. There had been some silence as she'd tried to process everything, her and Jacob staring at each other as they tried to suss each other out. It had taken a little bit, with Hoyt and Jason retreating to finish setting up some furniture, but soon Pam was sprawled out on the floor coloring with Jacob. She'd left not too long after, needing to get back to Shreveport to prepare for that night's opening of _Fantasy_ , but it was clear that the toddler had taken a shine to her.

"Pammy! I got an owie," Jacob whispered, pulling her out of her thoughts as she looked him over. "So it seems," she replied, pressing a kiss to the healing cut that she saw on his forehead. "Let me guess…your Uncle Jason was goofing around and you decided to be like him?" she asked, remembering seeing the older Stackhouse stand on the couch to hang a photo on the wall. She sighed when Jacob nodded, moving to sit down in his vacated chair with him. "It's a good thing your Aunt Tara is apparently not right in the head. Otherwise, I don't think Uncle Jason ever would have found someone to put up with his crazy self. Also, what did I say about calling me 'Pammy'?" she asked with a laugh, settling into conversation with her father and brother as they returned to their snacks.

* * *

Sookie pulled the Corvette into the driveway of the Northmans' house, rolling her eyes as Jess let out a low whistle. "Eric's family moved here from Bon Temps after Pam graduated from high school, since Dr. Northman transferred to the hospital in Shreveport. I left not too long after, so I didn't spend much time here," she told her friend as they got out of the car, letting them into the front door using Eric's keys. "Eric's only staying here until he gets an apartment lease set up, but I'm sure Godric and Pam won't mind you stopping by to use the pool or anything," she added as they moved through the house, peeking into each room as she tried to figure out where Eric and Jacob were. "They must be out back," she said, smiling as they made their way into the kitchen and she heard Jacob's excited little voice mixed with Eric's laughter.

"Sweet Lord in Heaven. I think I hate you, Sookie Stackhouse," Jess whispered as they walked out to the backyard, barely able to keep her jaw from dropping as Eric chose that moment to walk up the steps of the pool with Jacob in his arms. " _Please_ tell me he has a younger brother that you've failed to mention over the years," she added in a hushed whisper, both women tilting their head a little as they watched the water drip down Eric's shirtless back.

"Nope," Sookie answered, popping the 'p'. "There's only Pam," she added, grinning widely as Eric turned around and caught sight of them. The way that his face lit up when his eyes landed on her caused her knees to go weak, and she soon found her legs enveloped in a very wet embrace. "Hey there, baby!" she exclaimed as she scooped her son up into her arms for a hug, not caring that Jacob was sopping wet at the moment. He soon let out a whoop of delight as he realized Jess was standing next to his mother, launching himself into her arms as everyone laughed at his display. "I'm his second favorite person, when she's around," Sookie offered as an explanation when Eric made his way over to them, leaning back against his chest once she felt his arms wrap around her.

Eric let out a small laugh as he watched his son interact with the red-head, pressing a kiss to the top of Sookie's head. "It's nice to finally meet you, Jessica. Sookie's told me of how big of a help you've been with this guy," he said, nodding his head towards Jacob. "I can't thank you enough for being there for them when I couldn't."

Jess blushed a little, shaking her head. "No thanks necessary, seriously. These two are like family to me," she said with a smile, sticking her tongue out at Jacob to make him giggle. "Why don't I take him in and get him changed out of these wet clothes?" She gave everyone a small smile before she turned to go inside, happily chatting with Jacob as she walked.

Pam sidled up to Sookie and Eric with a smirk on her face, arms crossed over her chest as she looked at the doorway into the house. "She's nice, your little friend. Maybe I should go help her and show her where Jacob's bag is," she murmured before retreating into the house, leaving a bewildered Sookie in her wake.

Godric let out a sigh, getting up from the chair where he had been sitting. "And I guess I'll go make sure that Pam isn't _too_ Pam-like. Take your time coming in," he said, giving Eric's shoulder a squeeze as he walked by.

"Too _Pam-like_? Do I even want to know?" Sookie asked, letting out a laugh as she felt Eric shrug. "Thanks for taking Jacob in the pool. I had him in a swim class back in Chicago, but hadn't looked into anything around here yet. He's still learning, but he's definitely a bit of a fish like you," she added with a smile, turning and wrapping her arms around Eric's neck. "Also, we need to find Jess a nice little fling while she's here. She's quite upset that you don't have a brother."

"Is that so?" Eric asked, lifting Sookie up until she wrapped her legs around his waist. "I'd say Hoyt, but we'll need to make sure his mama doesn't find out," he said with a small laugh, walking over to sit them down in one of the oversized chairs. "And it was my pleasure to take Jacob in the pool. He was so excited when he saw it; thankfully Pam had picked up a pair of trunks for him during her shopping spree today." He tucked some hair behind Sookie's ear, planting a soft kiss on her lips. "So about last night," he started, his voice barely a whisper.

A loud commotion in the house had Eric pausing, both of their heads turning to look at the door to the kitchen as the voices grew closer. "How dare you bring her back into this house?! And the little bastard; how do you even know he's Eric's?! Other than the fact that he's blond, he looks nothing like him!"

Sookie let out a low growl as she scrambled off of Eric's lap, anger clearly burning in her eyes. "I don't care if she takes shots at me, but Jacob is _off limits_ ," she hissed as she turned on her heel, making a beeline for the door to the kitchen with Eric right behind her.

* * *

The sight before Sookie had her seeing red. Jacob was clinging to Jessica as Pam tried to usher them from the room, a visibly frustrated Godric trying desperately not to lose his cool as Salome continued her rant. "If you thought I was joking when I said didn't want to do something I'd regret yesterday, let me tell you…I promise I _won't_ regret slapping you for calling my son a bastard and saying that Eric isn't his father.," Sookie bit out, already feeling her hand start to twitch a little.

Salome scoffed and rolled her eyes, brushing off Godric as she felt him start to take her arm. "You think your threats scare me, little girl? I have more power than you could ever dream of and I refuse to let you bring my family down with your little scheme," she hissed out as she moved towards Sookie, towering over the younger girl as her face hardened. "You should have listened to me when I told you to leave the first time; I promise that I can do much more harm than telling people about your _dear_ Uncle Bartlett."

Pam, who had been silent during her mother's rant up until that point, bristled at Salome's words. "When you _told_ her to leave? I'm not sure I'm quite understanding you, Mother." She stepped back into the kitchen, her hands clenched at her side as she came to stand next to Sookie and Eric. " _Please_ tell me you weren't the reason Sookie left," she pleaded softly, barely able to hold back tears as she stared Salome down. Of course she'd known that Salome never approved of Sookie's (and to some extent, Jason's) involvement with the Northman family, but never in a million years could she imagine her mother stooping so low. "Tell me!" she repeated, gripping at the hand that she felt Eric rest on her shoulder.

Salome sighed, waving Pam off a little. "Of course I was the one that made her leave. If I had let Susannah tell Eric that she was pregnant, then he would have married her and settled down in that Podunk town. And you, Pamela; You spent far too much time with Sookie. Do you know how many potential suitors have stayed away because they think you're a lesbian?" Salome asked, a look of distaste on her face as she said the last portion.

"Well, news flash for you, Mother; I _am_ a lesbian, which I have been trying to tell you since I was fifteen! My friendship with Sookie had _nothing_ to do with that; if anything, she was the reason why I never cared what people thought of me. Dad knows, Eric knows; Hell, all of Bon Temps knows! I have told _you_ God knows how many times, but you refuse to accept what you don't like!" Pam yelled, fire burning in her eyes as she stepped closer to her mother. "I have tried to go along with your constant micromanaging of my life, but _I am done_. You took my best friend from me, and that is not something I can ever forgive you for. And now I realize why you were so adamant that we go to Sweden last year around the time that Sookie's Gran was sick; I don't think I can ever forgive you for not letting me say goodbye to the only true mother I ever had," she whispered as tears began to fall from her eyes, shaking her head a little as she turned to walk back towards Sookie and Eric.

Eric drew his sister into his arms, murmuring words of comfort to her as he pressed his lips to her hair. "All you've managed to do now, Salome, is make us want to alienate you from our lives even more. I was going to marry Sookie anyways, whether or not she had told me she was pregnant. That day before Sookie left, I had gone to New Orleans with Pam to pick up _Farmor's_ ring from the safe deposit box," he whispered as he wrapped his free arm around Sookie, not missing the look of surprise on his mother's face.

"Four years. I missed _four years_ with Sookie and our son. Seeing him grow within her, being there for his birth, first steps, first words…feeling him kick while still in the womb. There are so many things that I should have been there for, but you robbed me of them. Do you know how many nights I drank myself into a stupor, because my heart felt like it was permanently broken after Sookie left? So many that I'm surprised I even woke up most days," he whispered as he heard Sookie let out a small sob, tightening his hold on both of the women in his arms. "You think that you were trying to save Pam and me from a path of destruction? Well, you ended up being the one to send us down that exact road."

Godric's heart broke to see his children so distraught, his fists clenching as he tried to get his anger under control. Hearing everything that had been done, and the effect that it had on his children, caused his blood pressure to rise substantially. He saw his wife open her mouth to say something, causing something inside of him to snap. "Salome. I know that I took you away from your family and your high-society life in Sweden when I crazily decided to move us to the middle of nowhere Louisiana, but there is _no_ excuse for how you've treated Sookie; no excuse for how you've treated _us_!" he exclaimed, running his gaze over the stricken faces of his children. Never had he thought he'd failed them more than in that moment. "You are going to hop on the first plane and take an indefinite vacation to be with your parents and sister in Sweden. It will be up to Eric and Pamela if they want to fly over and visit you all. I will set up an allowance with our lawyers and you will want for nothing. But if I hear even a whisper from someone about you coming back to Louisiana, I will make sure the police and the local newspapers know about every single thing that you've done. You are the mother of my children and the woman I once loved unconditionally…but mess with my family again, and I will _destroy_ you."

Salome wordlessly picked up her purse from beside her feet, clearing her throat a little as she turned her head to look at her children. She'd been poised to fight back at her estranged husband's threats, but the look on his face had told her that she would be better off retreating silently for now. "I really did just want to do the best for you both. I hope you someday come to realize that. I will let you know once I've landed safely," she murmured, then turned and quickly left the house.

Jess stood there in stunned silence, gently rubbing Jacob's back as she tried to process all that she just witnessed. She was absolutely flabbergasted that Salome hadn't tried to put up a fight…but judging by what Sookie had told her over the years, Salome Agrippa-Northman was someone who was wrapped up in her own little world of money and power. "Well…if that's the kind of welcome I get in Shreveport, I can't wait to see what's in store for me in Bon Temps," she said with a nervous laugh, smiling as she heard the others begin to laugh as well; sometimes a little comic relief was needed.

Sookie wiped at her tears before she rushed over to retrieve Jacob from Jess, giving her friend a grateful smile as she held tight to the toddler. "Well…unless Jane Bodehouse gets so drunk that she tries to steal Bud Dearborn's cop car again, I think it's safe to say that's all the excitement you're getting." She set Jacob down and watched as he ran over to Eric and Pam, then turned to face Godric after she heard him nervously clear his throat. "You know I don't blame you about _any_ of this, right?" she asked, then held up a hand as she saw the Northman patriarch start to protest. "You have nothing to do with how that woman's mind works. What happened in the past was completely her own doing, so I don't want you carrying a speck of blame around." She wrapped her arms around Godric's waist and hugged him tightly, smiling against his chest when she felt him relax and hug her back. "You raised two amazing children, as well as helped make sure Jase and I stayed out of our own bunch of trouble. My son will be so lucky to have you in his life."

Godric blinked back tears of his own at Sookie's words, the adrenaline spike from the earlier altercation leaving him a little light-headed. "I can't think of a worthier woman to hold my son's heart and my daughter's trust, Sookie." He released his hold on her, moving to wrap his arms around Eric and Pam. " _Förlåt mig, mina barn_ ," he murmured, glancing down to where Jacob stood with an arm wrapped around Eric's legs.

Eric sighed, shaking his head a little. "There's nothing to forgive, Dad. You did nothing wrong, just like I told you last night," he replied softly, stepping back once his father released him and Pam. He leaned down and swung Jacob up into his arms, smiling at Sookie over the toddler's head. "Pam and I have a couple of hours before we need to head over and let the staff in. How about we get everyone together and treat Jess to a proper Bon Temps welcome?"

* * *

It took a couple of days of Eric practically begging, but Sookie soon agreed to work for him and Pam at _Fantasy_. It had been a no-brainer when he'd first broached the subject, but Sookie had wanted to truly think about it before agreeing to the new position. They'd also both agreed to slow down their relationship after they'd jumped back into bed together, deciding that it truly was the best thing for Jacob. Eric would show up at the farmhouse after lunch on the days that the club was open, allowing him time with Jacob before he and Sookie rode over to _Fantasy_ together. Jacob also slept over at the Northman residence on the nights when the club was closed, but Sookie always decided to stay home with Jess instead of joining her son. Other than a few heated kisses here and there, she and Eric were doing their best to try and suss out this 'new' relationship together.

Things were going really well, in Sookie's eyes…until one night the shit finally hit the fan. It was the middle of June and Sookie had been in her new position for a couple of weeks, something that she was greatly enjoying. She'd always had a mind for numbers, so doing the payroll and schedule were things she found she exceled. She also liked watching Eric and Pam interact with the club-goers, always finding the siblings so charismatic. One thing that was hard to watch, though, was the various women throwing themselves at Eric all night.

Eric had been called into the club early that night, with yet another mix-up happening with the liquor vendor. They had bachelor _and_ bachelorette parties coming in, so having copious amounts of liquor on hand was more than a bit crucial for that night. Sookie had waved him off when he tried to make excuses to stay, telling him that she was more than fine getting herself to the club that night. She'd been worried at first when she realized that Jess would be without a vehicle, but those fears were soon assuaged.

"You sure you don't mind Hoyt coming over tonight? I can tell him it's not a good time, if you don't want him in the house while you're gone," Jess said nervously, leaning against the bedroom doorway as Sookie finished putting on her makeup. "He and I can go out some other time."

Sookie rolled her eyes playfully, slipping into a pair of black heels before turning to look at her friend. She hadn't been surprised when Hoyt made his way over to Jess at Merlotte's the day of the confrontation with Salome, nor had she been surprised that her friend suddenly got all flustered around the country boy. "Jess. I've known Hoyt Fortenberry almost as long as I've known Eric. He's one of Jason's best friends and is more than welcome in this house. It's not like he's going to make off with Gran's silver candlesticks when you're in the bathroom or anything," she said with a small laugh, grabbing her sweater off the bed. "You really like him, don't you?"

Jess blushed a little as she nodded, nervously running a hand through her hair. She'd gone through a wild stage in her first couple of years in college, finally being out from under the control of her parents. She hadn't really been interested in a relationship with anyone in quite some time, but being introduced to Hoyt seemed to have changed all that. "I do, Sook. I don't think his mom likes me much, so that worries me, but I do really like him."

Sookie let out a snort as she made her way into the hall, peeking her head in to check on a sleeping Jacob. "Maxine Fortenberry won't like any woman for her son, unless _she_ is the one who introduces them. Just focus on Hoyt, sweetie; don't let Big Max scare you off," she told her friend, then let out a big breath. "Okay…how do I look?"

Jess tilted her head as she analyzed her friend's outfit, raising a brow as she took in the tight sleeveless blouse and pencil skirt. "Pop open one more of those buttons on that blouse and I'd be asking if _you_ were the entertainment for tonight," she said teasingly, slapping a hand over her mouth to silence her laugh when she saw Sookie's death glare. "What? You asked! It definitely doesn't scream 'remember, we're taking it slow', but I do approve of the outfit."

Sookie smacked her friend on the arm as she pushed past her, making her way downstairs to the foyer. "Maybe I'm done wanting to take it slow, wise guy," she offered, shrugging on her sweater. "Alright…baring any incidents that require police to show up, I should be home no later than 2," she said as she grabbed her purse, then turned to give her friend a reassuring smile. "Have fun with Hoyt tonight, Jess. I'd say I want details, but that boy is like a brother to me," she added with a grin, leaving behind a very flustered redhead as she left the house.

By the time Sookie reached _Fantasy_ , it was clear that the bachelor party was in full swing. Both the bar area and the dance floor were packed with men and women, as well as the upstairs lounge. She'd dropped her purse off in the office that she shared with Eric before making her way back out to the main area, dodging moving bodies as she walked. She wasn't surprised to see Sophie and Lorena at the bar once she got there, nor was she surprised to see them desperately throwing themselves at Eric as he quickly made their drinks. She _was_ , however, very surprised to overhear a bit of their conversation once she stepped up behind them.

"Remember all those times in Boston, baby? You can't tell me you didn't have fun with us," Lorena cooed as she smirked at Eric, wrapping an arm around Sophie's shoulders. "How about we go back to your place tonight and give you an encore or two? Sophie has a bit more flexibility than last time and I'll let you do that thing I know you love."

Eric opened his mouth to politely deny the offer, but the sight of Sookie over Lorena's shoulder caused his mouth to dry up. He'd been meaning to tell Sookie more in depth about the mistakes he had made in Boston, but hadn't found the right time to. The look of hurt on her face at that moment was heartbreaking, telling him that there probably never really _would_ have been a good time. "Chow, take over," he ordered the closest bartender, then quickly moved out from behind the bar as he saw Sookie take off towards the back offices.

Sookie couldn't help the tears that fell as she moved, murmuring her apologies as she bumped into various people. She'd known that Eric had slept with other women after she'd left, something that she couldn't fault him for…but the two women that had tormented her all through high school? She could barely see as she let herself into the office, letting out a sob as she tried to slam the door and heard it bounce against something. "Leave me alone! There's far too many people out there for you to be in here, and I need a few minutes to get myself together," she said, wiping at her face as she turned around.

Eric's heart broke even more as he saw the tear tracks on Sookie's cheeks, not hesitating to pull her into his arms and rock her slowly from side to side. "I'm sorry, Sunshine. I should have told you. It's not something I'm quite proud of, so I was afraid of what you might think," he murmured, pulling back to brush hair out of Sookie's eyes. "I was in a _very_ dark place for a long time, Sook. There was far more alcohol than I should have imbibed in, and I made some decisions that I definitely shouldn't have made. I never understood how Sophie and Lorena always turned up in Boston at the same clubs and events that I went to, but now I'm guessing Salome had something to do with it. I should've pushed them away, but I was too far in the bottle at that point to really care."

Sookie could barely listen as Eric explained everything, feeling quite nauseated as he spoke. "I don't know what to say, Eric. Knowing that they had any sort of contact with you honestly makes me sick right now," she whispered, barely able to hold back tears as she saw the hurt in his eyes. "You always said I was more than enough for you. _Why,_ in God's name, would you choose _them_?!"

"You left me, Sookie! I don't know how you tend to forget, but _you_ left _me_!" Eric yelled out in exasperation, his chest heaving with every emotion that he felt at that moment. "You should have told me, Jason, _somebody_ when Salome threatened you…but, no; you ran. I get that you wanted to protect Gran and your family…what I don't get is how _I_ wasn't part of your family! What I also don't get is how you can be mad about Lorena and Sophie, but you don't seem to think all of the talk about Bill would have affected me."

"You think I _wanted_ to leave?" Sookie yelled back as she moved forward towards Eric, her face flush with anger and hurt. "I _wanted_ to stay here and raise a family with you, Eric. I wanted nothing more than to tell you about the baby and see your face light up with the news. I knew that we were nowhere near ready for this, but we would have made it work," she added as she wiped at more tears, not even caring that her makeup was probably smudged all over her face at that point. "But once I saw that second little pink line, I could only think about that life that I was growing inside of me. Your mother practically told me she'd pay for an abortion…how did I know that she wasn't going to find a way to make me lose the baby if I stayed? And as for Bill fucking Compton, it was just a drunken kiss! I can't help what lies the idiot was spreading."

Sookie moved to the desk and grabbed her purse out of the drawer, not even caring if she slammed it shut harder than she needed to. " _This_ is exactly why I didn't want to jump back into a relationship, Eric. You say that all your anger is towards your mother, but clearly there's some underlying resentment towards me," she whispered, pulling out her car keys. "And you _should_ be mad at me. But maybe we need to take some time to cool off before either of us says something we regret. I'll have Jess drop Jacob off at your house each day, so that you can still have some time with him. I think we need some time apart to really think about things going forward." She walked over to Eric and went up on her tiptoes, barely able to hold back more tears as she brushed her lips against his. "Tell Pam I'm sorry…but I quit."

* * *

 **A/N:**

 **Edited to add translations:** _Min lilla barbarn = My little grandchild/grandson_

 _Förlåt mig, mina barn = Forgive me, my children_

 **So...there's that. *hides from angry readers* I've already got the ball rolling on the next chapter...which may actually be the last, depending on how it goes. We're definitely coming to the end of our journey with these two :-) Thank you so much for reading...until next time!**

 _ **A/N (05/08) - FF is currently experiencing an issue with all updates. The next chapter will be posted once that has been resolved.**_


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: Hello, my friends! My apologies for the massive delay on this! We relocated my company to a new building, so the past couple of months have been a bit hectic. But, I'm back! Many thanks to those of you who are still with me :-)**

 **I also want to apologize for any confusion with the chapter/review numbers. I deleted an author's note a little while ago, but the reviews didn't update to reflect that :-( Unfortunately if you reviewed chapter 7 (which would've been listed as 8 due to the note), you may have issues reviewing this chapter. Please feel free to send along a PM if you have any comments after reading :-)**

 **Many _many_ thanks to Asrailefay for being my Beta on this and for getting my act in gear when it came to writing. This most likely would've been delayed even longer, if she hadn't talked some sense into me :-) Please go check out her new stories _Born to Die_ and _Kiss Me Kill Me_ , if you haven't already!**

 **As always, I own nothing TB or SVM related. Enjoy!**

* * *

Sookie sighed as she pulled open the door to _Fantasy_ , waving at the bouncer as she made her way into the club. It was the weekend before Jason and Tara's wedding and, since it was a logical choice, they'd decided to have a joint bachelor/bachelorette party at the club. Eric and Pam had graciously offered up the space for the parties, deciding to limit everything to invitations only that night. While Sookie hadn't been thrilled when Tara had told her the plan, she decided to just suck it up for her best friend and brother.

The past few weeks had been…trying, to say the least. She and Eric had avoided each other at all costs, using Jess as the go-between when it came time for Jacob to be dropped off with either parent. Sookie hated to see the confusion in her son's eyes each time that she said goodbye to him, but she also didn't want to subject him to any fighting that might occur between her and Eric if they were in the same room together.

Sookie's heart leapt into her throat as her eyes fell on Eric, all of the nerves that she had been trying to suppress causing her knees to go weak. She couldn't remember the last time she'd seen jeans and a black t-shirt look so good on someone. She heard her name being called and turned to wave up at Tara, her breath catching when she turned back and saw Eric staring at her. "Well, Stackhouse, it's now or never," she whispered to herself, then made her way over to the bar.

Eric continued to wipe the glass that he was holding, though he didn't take his eyes off of Sookie as she moved closer to him. The last few weeks had been absolute hell for him. It had taken all of his strength to not run after her that night at the club. While he was grateful that she was so great about letting him have Jacob whenever he wanted, he hated not being able to talk with her each day. He'd thoroughly enjoyed having her work at _Fantasy_ , because it meant that they'd had even more time together. After the first week, though, he'd understood why she'd made the suggestion to spend time apart. He truly had been angry at her for leaving all those years ago, but he'd never let himself come to terms with that fact. It wasn't fair to either of them that he had been holding that anger in.

"You look great, Sookie," Eric murmured as Sookie sat down on the stool in front of him, unable to keep from smiling as he saw her blush. She was wearing what appeared to be a new dress, the deep red of the fabric looking amazing against her newly bronzed tan. "What can I get you?"

Sookie felt her face heat up at the compliment, her fingers nervously twisting the cocktail napkin that was in front of her. "A gin and tonic, please. And thanks…Tara talked me into buying something new," she replied softly, casting a glance to the side where she saw her friends milling about on the dance floor. "Thank you for letting us use the club tonight. Neither Jason or Tara wanted to do anything too crazy, so this was perfect."

Eric smiled as he made Sookie's drink, nearly fumbling it as their hands touched when he went to place it in front of her. "Of course. It helped narrow down my best man duties a little, anyways," he added, waving as he saw Jason trying to get his attention for another drink. "How have you been?" he asked, feeling more nervous than he had the night of their first date.

Sookie took a large sip of her drink for some liquid courage, feeling the slow burn of the alcohol slide down her throat. "I've been okay," she murmured, barely holding back the words 'but I miss you.' "Jason's payroll lady ran off with her boyfriend to get hitched or something, so I've been helping him out with all of that stuff," she added, a small smile coming to her face as she remembered the frantic phone call from her brother. "I _was_ going to beg Sam for my old job back, but this definitely works out better." She paused to take another large sip, trying unsuccessfully to will away the flush in her cheeks. "How have you been?"

"I miss you," Eric answered automatically, causing both of them to freeze. He rubbed a hand over his face with a sigh, pouring himself a shot of tequila before motioning to Chow that he was stepping out from behind the bar. He slid onto the stool next to Sookie, staring down at his drink for a few moments before knocking it back. "I miss you, Sookie," he repeated, turning his head to look at her. "I know I spent four years without you, but that was nothing compared to how I've felt these past few weeks."

Sookie's heart clenched at Eric's words, using all of her strength to not throw herself at him. "I miss you, too," she whispered before finishing up her drink, barely able to keep her tears at bay. "I hate that we can't seem to work this out. I really, _really_ miss you, Eric," she added softly, moving to rest her head on his shoulder. She hadn't really had much to drink since the fiasco with Bill in February, other than a glass of wine here and there, so the gin and tonic that she had consumed quickly was already starting to go to her head. "Do you think we'll ever make us work?"

Eric gently wrapped an arm around Sookie's shoulders, scooching his stool over so that he could hold her close. "I'm betting with all that I have that we will," he murmured, pressing a kiss to the top of her head. "We've been through far too much for us to crash and burn," he added softly, nodding his head in thanks as he noticed Chow refill both of their drinks. He looked up as he heard raised voices from the area of the dance floor, shaking his head a little as he saw Jason and Tara trying to wave them over. "You wanna go join them on the dance floor? I mean…you don't have to dance _with_ me. I just figured we could go over together."

Sookie let out a little laugh, reaching out to give Eric's hand a soft squeeze with her free one. "I would love to dance with you," she answered softly, a twinkle in her eye as she took another large sip of her drink. While she hadn't planned on having more than a couple of drinks, knowing that Jacob was spending the night with Godric prompted her to want to unwind more than usual. "You ready?"

Eric knocked back his second shot and nodded, taking Sookie's hand in his so that he could lead her to the dance floor. The intro to a recent Top 40 hit began to play through the speakers as they wove their way through the throngs of people on the dance floor, their friends already fully into the dance by the time they reached them. Eric gave Sookie's hand a small squeeze before letting go, nodding a little to suggest she go dance with a waiting Tara.

Sookie hesitated for a moment when she felt the warmth of Eric's hand leave hers, wanting nothing more than to grab back onto him. She gave him a small smile before she felt Tara's hand on her arm, reluctantly turning away to focus on her friend. Tara's enthusiasm and excitement was practically contagious as the two friends danced, Sookie unable to keep the big smile off her face as they moved and bounced to the beat.

Eric watched Sookie dance for about a couple of songs, unable to keep up with the conversation Jason was trying to have as they stood watching the girls. "Sorry, Jase," Eric said moments before he moved away from his friend, giving his head a little shake as he saw Tara notice his approach. "Hope you don't mind," he murmured as he rested his hands on Sookie's hips, his lips brushing against her ear as he pulled her body back to meet his.

Sookie couldn't help the shiver that ran through her as she felt Eric's breath on her ear, biting her lip to keep from letting out a moan when she felt his body press against hers. She really should walk away, she thought, put some distance between them until they figured everything out. But her body was telling her that three weeks had already been distance enough. "What took you so long?" she asked breathlessly as she begin to move her hips in time to the music once more, resting her head back against his chest as she watched Tara dance away to go find Jason.

Eric let out a small laugh as he moved his body in time with Sookie's, stifling a groan as she pressed against him in a way that had all of his nerve endings on high-alert. "I figured it would be bad form to paw at my best friend's sister in front of him," he started softly, his voice growing huskier as they danced. "But, seeing as how you're _also_ the mother of my child, I figured he wouldn't mind _too_ much." Eric turned Sookie around so that were facing each other, his breathing growing more ragged as he looked down at her flushed face. "You look so damn sexy right now, Sunshine."

Sookie's breath caught in her throat as she looked up at Eric, almost moaning at the look she saw in his eyes. "Right back at you," she murmured, unable to keep from running her fingers up and down his arms. "This feels so right," she added softly as the hustle and bustle of the club washed over her, unable to tear her gaze away from his as they continued to move their hips against one another. She let out a small gasp as she noticed Eric start to lower his head, closing her eyes in anticipation of feeling his lips on hers. But Sookie felt only terror as arms wrapped around her waist, a squeak of surprise leaving her lips as she was lifted and pulled out of Eric's grasp. Her eyes shot open as she heard a familiar rumbling laugh, her face red with a mixture of anger and embarrassment as she was set back on her feet again. "I sure as hell know your daddy taught you to treat women better than that, Alcide Herveaux!" she snapped out as she whipped around, arms crossed over her chest as she glared up at the interloper. "And what in the hell are you doing here?"

Alcide grinned down at Sookie, a twinkle in his eye as he brushed a strand of hair away from her eyes. "My daddy did say that you should always sweep a girl off her feet. He wasn't too clear on the specifics of that, though." Alcide couldn't help but laugh as he saw Sookie roll her eyes, shaking his head a little as he saw her tapping her foot in frustration. "Jason forgot to tell you I was back working for my old man, didn't he? We ran into each other in Monroe the other day and he invited me along tonight. Couldn't pass up a chance to see my favorite girl!"

Sookie let out a sigh as she pinched the bridge of her nose, already feeling a headache coming on. Jason _had_ neglected to tell her about running into Alcide, something that she wouldn't be letting him live down for a while. She visibly jumped when she felt a strong hand grip her shoulder, her heart nearly beating out of her chest as she turned to face an understandably confused (and partially upset) Eric. "Eric, this is Alcide Herveaux," she started, her mouth already running dry as she pictured the confrontation that could (and most likely would) occur after introductions were completed. "He's my- "

"Ex-boyfriend. We met in Chicago," Alcide interjected, holding out a hand to Eric. "And you might be?" he asked gruffly, though the answer was plain as day. He recognized the person that had been dancing with Sookie the instant that he'd laid eyes on the couple, the similarities between the tall blond and a certain toddler too striking to miss. "Are you an old friend?" he goaded further, a smirk coming to his face as he saw the other man's jaw twitch a little.

"Eric Northman," Eric started as he stared daggers at the intruder, his teeth clenched as he consciously pulled Sookie back against him and refused the handshake. "Sookie and I have a bit of a history, I guess you could say," he answered, relaxing his grip on Sookie as he felt her start to tense up a little. "Funny…she's never mentioned you, in all the time that she's been back," he added, a smirk coming to his face as he saw the other man's eyes darken a little. "I'm guessing this was a short relationship, then?"

Alcide let out a small laugh, shaking his head a little. "If by short, you mean almost a year of dancing in the sheets," he answered, not even reacting when he heard Sookie's pleading gasp. He knew exactly who he was standing in front of, and he was full well going to make that known. "I'm surprised she didn't mention me, to be honest. You'd think the guy that was holding one of her hands while she gave birth would top the list of people she'd talk about; certainly would rank higher than the guy who got her pregnant, then ran off to party with any woman he could find. Got a picture of the little guy in my wallet and everything," he added, unable to keep the smug grin off his face as he neglected to say that the photo was about two years old. He knew _all_ about Eric Northman, even the things that Sookie hadn't been aware of at the time; gossip columns certainly came in handy. He wasn't about to back down when it came to showing the other man up.

Sookie screeched out Alcide's name as the music naturally came to a stop, all eyes on the trio as the tension visibly rolled off of them in the silence. "Eric," she started, whipping around to look up at him as she placed his hands on his shoulders. "We clearly need to talk about this, _in private_ , so let's-" She let out a startled cry as Eric lifted her and moved her to the side, unable to do anything but watch as he strode up to Alcide. She moved to grab for Eric once more, then let out a yell as she saw his fist connect with Alcide's jaw. This was _not_ how this night was supposed to go.

* * *

Sookie slammed the office door and spun around to glare at Eric as he shook out his hand, her chest heaving with each breath that she took. "You had _no_ right to haul off and punch him like that, Eric! Alcide said some pretty stupid things, I'll admit, but there was no reason for you to hit him like that."

"Do you actually think that I want to hear about another man having his hands all over you? That I want to picture someone else making you cry out their name?" Eric yelled back as he watched Sookie walk past him and towards the couch, his entire body vibrating with a mixture of both anger and sadness. "To know that another man even touched you, Sookie…I can't even begin to tell you how that makes me feel."

Sookie whipped around to stare at Eric, her eyes blazing with anger as she stalked back towards him. "So, what? I was supposed to be the perfect little celibate saint, while you were sleeping with God knows how many women?! That's a little pot calling the kettle black, don't you think?" She went to move past him towards the door, drawing in a breath as she felt him grab her wrist to halt her movements. "Let. Me. Go," she hissed through clenched teeth, attempting to tug herself free from his grasp.

"Those women meant _nothing_ to me, Sookie, like I've told you before," Eric growled out, yanking her close so that her body was pressed up against his. "Aside from the bitch twins, who I'm still kicking myself over, none of those women will ever walk into my life again. I left that all behind in Boston. But that two-bit lumberjack looking wannabe out there? He's clearly someone that meant something to you!" Eric unknowingly had caused Sookie to step back until he had her pressed up against the door, his hands on either side of her head as he looked down at her. "I _never_ let any of those women get even close to my heart," he whispered, the pain that he was feeling evident in his eyes. "He was there with you and your family when you gave birth, Sookie. You can't tell me he means nothing to you."

Sookie closed her eyes for a few moments, unable to stop a few tears from leaking out as the pain of the last four years slammed into her again. "He was just supposed to be a fling, you know? A couple of dates here and there, someone to talk to when I got lonely. I didn't plan on it to get as serious as it did." She opened her eyes to look up at Eric, the sadness that she saw in his eyes almost causing her knees to give out from beneath her. "I was all alone in this new place…and, with him being from Mississippi and in construction like Jason, he sounded just like home." She shook her head slightly, recalling all the asshole-ish things that Alcide had said to Eric before. "I figured once I started showing and couldn't hide that I was pregnant anymore, he'd go running for the hills anyways. But, no…he vowed to stick around for as long as he could."

Eric's heart broke even more as Sookie spoke, the reality of her words fully sinking in. Not only had his mother robbed him of experiencing Sookie's pregnancy with her, his mother's actions had allowed _another man_ to take his place in everything. He rested his forehead down against Sookie's as he tried to get his emotions in check, feeling tears of his own begin to prick at his eyes. "Did you love him, Sookie?" he asked softly, though his brain was telling him that he may not like her answer to that question. "Because if there's any chance of you wanting to be with him again, I'll stand aside."

Sookie reached up and brushed the tears away from the corners of Eric's eyes, her gaze holding his as she shook her head slightly. "Part of me _wanted_ to love him, so that I could see if I could get over you, but my heart was still fully yours. He was just a good friend, there for me in a time of need," she murmured, giving Eric a small smile as she rested a hand against his cheek. "I know what I said a few weeks ago may have made it seem like there was never another in my life after you, so I'm sorry for hurting you like that. I should've told you about Alcide from the start…you shouldn't have had to hear it from him," she added, placing a finger over his lips to hush him when she saw him start to speak. "Especially considering that he neglected to mention a few key events, like me telling him it was over the day Jacob was born."

Sookie gently wrapped her arms around Eric's neck as she let her words sink in, a small smile coming to her face as she saw the questioning look in his eyes. "Seeing so much of you in Jacob's little face made me realize that I didn't _want_ to get over you, Eric. And if I couldn't have you in my life, then at least I would always have a part of you in him."

"Do you still want to give this another shot? Even after I've handled this entire situation like a complete jackass?" Eric asked softly, reaching up to brush a strand of hair out of her eyes. "I knew exactly where you were, but I decided to run away from everything instead of going to confront you. I should've gone to Chicago. I should've been there with you," he whispered, feeling his heart clench again. "I chose to lose myself in the hustle and bustle, while you were off raising our son."

"Everything's a two-way street, Eric, and I won't have you beating yourself up any longer about it. You know you were right, when we had that fight a few weeks ago. I _should've_ called you the moment your mother started making her threats, _should've_ called you the moment I found out I was pregnant. You were just as much my family as Gran and Jason were back then…I shouldn't have disappeared like that. You deserved to know about Jacob long before you did," Sookie told Eric softly, gazing up at him as she took a deep breath. "I know I want to try again, but do _you_?"

Eric's answer was to crash his lips to Sookie's, finally giving in to the urge that he'd been feeling since she'd walked into the club that night. He felt her lips respond to his and moved his hands up to tangle them in her hair, pouring every single emotion he'd felt for the last four years into their kiss. Between her leaving, then reappearing in his life, and then their fighting over the last few weeks…at this point, Eric didn't know if he would ever let Sookie leave his sight again. His hands left her hair and blazed a trail down her arms and sides, grasping at her thighs firmly before lifting her up.

Sookie let out a small gasp as she felt her feet leave the floor, wrapping her legs around Eric's waist as felt him begin to move backwards. She let out a moan of delight as his tongue slipped past her lips and began to dance with hers, pouring all of the love that she had for him into their embrace. Her hands moved to the hem of his t-shirt once she felt him set her down on the desk, slipping her fingers under the fabric as she nipped at his bottom lip a little. She allowed her nails to skim over this skin of his stomach, unable to keep the smile from her face as she heard him shudder and let out something that sounded almost like a growl.

Eric's eyes nearly rolled back in his head when he felt Sookie's nails on his stomach, a blaze of heat left behind with each touch. He reluctantly pulled back to pull his shirt over his head, unable to help the smirk that came to his face as he saw something flash through her eyes. He studied her face for a few moments, taking in the flush of her cheeks and the way her eyes burned with need. He moved forward to capture her face in his hands once more, crashing his lips against hers in a way that he hoped wouldn't leave her mouth bruised. If their reunion a few weeks ago had been about reconnecting and relearning each other's bodies, tonight was certainly about claiming each other.

Sookie's hands made quick work of Eric's belt, then her hands began to fumble with the button of his jeans. She let out a small moan of delight once she'd completed her task, not wasting another moment before reaching a hand inside his jeans. Her fingers gently wrapped around him and began to stroke, unable to help but grin as he pulled away from their kiss to gasp for breath. "Everything okay?" she softly asked, a twinkle in her eye as she continued her ministrations.

Eric let out a moan of approval as he nodded, dropping his head so that he could nip and suck at Sookie's neck. His hands came up to her shoulders and shoved at the straps of her dress, then moved to her back to make quick work of her zipper. He toed off his shoes as he began to push down her dress, giving her an apologetic look as he forced her to pause in her task. "Absolutely gorgeous," he rasped out as he helped her to her feet, his eyes traversing her body as her dress fell to the floor.

"I could say the same about you," Sookie breathlessly teased as she shoved down Eric's jeans and boxer briefs, her hand resuming its prior activity now that Eric was fully undressed. She felt Eric's hand fumble with the clasp of her strapless bra, a shudder running through her once he'd divested her of it and the cool air danced along her skin. She wasn't prepared for the hand that he snuck in the front of her lacy boyshorts, his name leaving her lips in a small cry as she felt his fingers began to tease her.

Eric groaned as Sookie's grip on him tightened, that mixed with how wet she was nearly sending him over the edge. His lips found hers once more as his fingers began to move in time with her hand, his other hand quickly shoving her underwear down. His deftly slipped a finger inside of her, continuing to move in time with her hand as he felt her start to clench around him. It wasn't long before she cried out with her release, her hand stilling around him as tremors rocked her body. Eric took the opportunity to lift Sookie back up onto the desk, shoving the various paperwork off as he laid her down and pulled her close to the edge.

Sookie let out a cry of delight as Eric drove into her, her legs wrapping around his waist as he began to move within her. Her back arched off the desk as pleasure radiated through her, her hands grappling to find some sort of purchase on the desk as they continued to move against each other. She reached up to pull his face down to hers, kissing him with an intensity that matched the passion that she was feeling in that moment.

Eric nipped at Sookie's lips as they moved together, gasping out her name as he felt her clench around him. He knew it wouldn't be long before she went over the edge again, and he knew damn well that she'd be taking him with her. He dropped his head to take one of her nipples in her mouth, letting his tongue taunt and tease before moving to the other. He felt her fingers grip his hair as she encouraged him to continue, his hands gripping her hips as he continued to pound into her. It wasn't long before Sookie's body stiffened and she cried out his name, stars dancing before his eyes as he gave one final thrust. He roared out her name as he spilled into her, barely able to keep from collapsing on top of her as his legs threatened to give out.

Sookie gasped out Eric's name once more as a residual tremor rolled through her when he pulled out of her, lifting her head to claim his lips once more in a gentle kiss. She wrapped her arms around his neck as she felt him begin to lift her, resting her head against his chest as he carried her bridal-style over to the couch. They laid there in silence for a few minutes, both trying to catch their breath as they snuggled together on the couch. "I hadn't planned on this happening tonight," Sookie whispered, then shook her head when she saw the hesitation in Eric's eyes. "But I'm glad it did," she added with a big smile, giving him another kiss before she stretched out a little.

Eric couldn't help his grin as his eyes traveled over Sookie's body, letting out a small laugh as she smacked him slightly. "Hey! I'm glad it did, too, Sunshine," he murmured, resting his forehead against hers. "Now…let's go shower and get back out to the party. I think you owe me another dance," he said with a wink as he got to his feet and tugged her up with him, unable to help but laugh at her terrified squeal as he threw her over his shoulder and walked towards the bathroom that was attached to his office. In reality, it would be another hour before they actually made it back out to their friends.

* * *

Sookie flushed the toilet and got back to her feet, washing her hands thoroughly before splashing some water on her face. She wasn't sure what exactly had brought about the nausea that had taken over her body, but she had a hunch that the speech she needed to give in a couple of hours had something to do with it. Public speaking had never been her forte, so she'd nearly fainted on the spot last week when Tara had mentioned the maid-of-honor speech that she was expected to give. She dried her hands and opened the door to the bathroom, shaking her head as she saw Tara standing there with her arms crossed over her chest. "Don't think I won't find a way to get back at you for this speech, Tara. You're not off the hook, just because you're marrying Jason."

Tara rolled her eyes as she led Sookie over to the vanity chair, resuming her task of hair styling that had been interrupted by Sookie's mad dash to the bathroom. "Think you can hang in there for at least another few minutes? I'm almost done this, and I'm gonna be really peeved if you mess it up again," Tara admonished, her own nerves about the day clearly showing. She had no doubt in her mind that marrying Jason Stackhouse was what she wanted to do, since she'd known that from the age of 10, but having everybody running around to set up had her on edge.

Sookie caught Tara's eyes in the mirror, giving her friend a small smile after they'd both been silent for a few minutes. "Mama and Daddy would've been so happy that you and Jason are together and getting married, you know? Even as kids, you were the only one who could keep him in line," she said softly, laughing a little when she heard her friend snort.

"Well, that boy needed _someone_ to make him toe the line," Tara answered with a little laugh, her fingers gently primping some of Sookie's loose curls. "Just like he needed _me_ to be the one to ask _him_ out all those years ago, since he was taking his sweet-ass time," she added as she rolled her eyes, recalling how they'd tip-toed around each other before finally giving in. Tara soon declared Sookie's hair to be done, sending her back into the bathroom to get changed into her dress and fix her makeup. "How have you and Eric been doing?" she asked as she removed her own dress from its hanger, slipping out of her robe before beginning to get into her dress.

Sookie smiled as she zipped up the back of her yellow sundress, brushing some strands of hair aside as she hunkered over the sink to spruce up her makeup. "It's only been a week since we decided to give this another shot, but I think we're going to be just fine. We both promised no more secrets, so being open with each other about the past few years has been a bit rough…but it's definitely a step that we needed to take." She finished up her task and moved back out to the bedroom, smiling brightly when she saw Tara standing there in her wedding dress. "You look gorgeous, Tara-Mae," she murmured, moving closer so that she could button up the back of Tara's dress. "You still want help putting on the garter?"

Tara let out a laugh as she nodded, watching as Sookie disappeared under the layers of tulle that puffed out the skirt of her dress. She braced a hand on the vanity as she lifted her foot, feeling Sookie slide the garter up her leg. "You know what the one thing that was going through my mind all morning was? I am _so_ happy that I'm not dealing with any period stuff this week. Having it the week before the wedding was bad enough. _Definitely_ didn't need to be dealing with that today." She almost fell to the side when Sookie suddenly scrambled out from under her dress, a look of concern on Tara's face when she saw how pale her friend was. "Are you going to be sick again? We can cut the speech if that'll help. Eric'll probably have enough stories for the both of you in his."

Sookie shook her head as she began to pace, doing math and envisioning her calendar in her mind. Fate just wouldn't be that cruel…would it? "I-I'm fine, Tara. Just got a little light-headed from the heat is all," she lied, knowing full well the heat of the day hadn't set in yet. They'd purposefully scheduled the ceremony for the morning for that reason "Let's do your make-up and get down there, before Jason sends out a search party."

Tara raised a brow as she took a seat at the vanity, tilting her head a little as she watched Sookie rifle through the makeup bag. "You can't bullshit a bullshitter, Stackhouse. _Especially_ one who's been raised around you and your brother. I know something's up with you," she stated, closing her eyes so that Sookie could apply some eyeshadow. She was quiet as Sookie continued to work, then gasped softly as realization hit her. "Sookie? Do you remember the last time you were all twitchy and weird like this?"

Sookie's hands stilled at Tara's words, barely able to keep them from shaking as she took a deep breath. "I don't know what you're talking about, Tara," she said softly, though she knew she wouldn't be able to keep up her ruse for much longer. She knew _exactly_ what Tara was talking about, and she mentally kicked herself for not having seen the signs earlier. She'd been feeling so run down the past week, but she'd just chalked that up to all the running around for the wedding. "I'm sure it's just a cold or something. Jess has been taking Jacob to the park a lot, so he probably brought home a bug from one of the other kids. He's got an amazing immune system, so I'm the one that usually gets sick." Denial, thy name is Sookie.

Tara made a sound of disapproval as she opened her eyes and caught Sookie's gaze, her heart clenching when she saw how pale her friend was. "It was the night you told him about Jacob, wasn't it?"

Sookie nodded, continuing her task as she tried to calm her fast beating heart. "Had to have been. Last weekend would be way too soon for anything to already be happening," she whispered, silently cursing Fate and its abhorrent sense of humor. "Same exact date and everything," she added softly, setting down the lipstick she'd just applied. "Let's not worry about this now, okay? I've waited a long time to see my brother marry you, and I'm not about to let anything get in the way of that."

"What's there to worry about?" a voice asked from the doorway, causing both women to direct their attention towards the newcomer. Sookie let out a shaky breath when she saw Eric standing there with Jacob in his arms, how good Eric looked in his suit _almost_ trumping the nerves that coursed through her body. She knew she needed to tell him, needed to let him know that their lives were about to change again. She knew that he would be overjoyed, but part of her also feared that he would feel trapped by this new development. It wasn't like they'd planned it or anything. "Nothing at all. Let's get this show on the road!" Sookie finally answered with a big smile on her face, briefly sharing a look with Tara as she helped her to her feet. She needed time to get her thoughts together, needed time to figure out how exactly to drop this bomb. Sometimes secrets _were_ best kept from others for a little bit. She could only hope that Eric felt the same way in the end.

* * *

 **A/N: So there's that :-) There most likely will be one more chapter with an epilogue attached, and I promise it won't take as long to get out! Thank you again for reading and putting up with my sporadic posts. Until next time, loves!**


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: Apologies for the delay on this! RL has been a bit hectic, as of late. Many thanks to my amazing Beta and sounding board _Asrailefay_ for all of the pushing and shoving (aka encouragement) that she has given me on this chapter. Also, thank you so much to everyone who has reviewed and set up follow/favorite alerts...seeing those emails trickle in always makes me smile :-) As always, I own nothing TB or SVM related. Enjoy!**

* * *

Eric looked down as he heard his cellphone ring, a smile coming to his face as he saw the name on the caller ID. "Hey there, Sunshine. I was just about to call you," he said as his Bluetooth picked up the call from Sookie, continuing his journey down the highway from Shreveport towards Bon Temps. "I just did some paperwork at the club and now I'm heading your way. Pam's taking the reins for the next few days, so I'm totally and completely yours. Need me to grab anything for dinner?"

Two months had passed since their fight/confessional, as well as Jason and Tara's wedding, and things seemed to be flowing along smoothly. While Eric hadn't officially moved in to the farmhouse with Sookie and Jacob, he certainly was spending any time that he didn't need to be at _Fantasy_ with them. Granted…most nights he was usually crawling into bed with Sookie only hours before dawn, but waking up to the sounds of her getting herself and Jacob ready for the day was not something he would trade for anything. And with Jacob now in an afternoon preschool program, Eric was able to have a few hours each day with his son before dropping him off on his way back to Shreveport.

"If you want to swing by the store to get some garlic bread fixings, that would be great. I'm just about to finish up here, then I'm going to grab Jacob from school on my way to the bank," Sookie's voice filtered through his car speakers, the sound of papers being shuffled around apparent in the background. "I whipped up some lasagna last night after Jacob went to bed, so I think the bread's all we need." Silence filled the car for a few moments, then Sookie let out an audible sigh. "I need to head out before the bank closes, but I just wanted to call to say I love you and can't wait to see you. Drive safe, Eric."

Eric opened his mouth to respond, but the call was dropped before he had the chance to. "I love you, too," he murmured, a little surprised by Sookie's words. While it was clear that they still felt the same about each other as they had when they were younger, neither had said those words yet this time around. He settled back into his seat as he took the exit for Bon Temps, smiling to himself as he pondered Sookie's words. A warmth spread through him as he replayed those three words in his mind, his smile permanently etched on his face by the time he pulled into the parking lot of the Piggly-Wiggly. Not even Maxine Fortenberry eventually tracking him down inside could take his good mood from him.

"You mind telling Hoyt next time you see him that his mama misses him?" Maxine asked as she wiped at her eyes, Eric barely able to keep from rolling his eyes as he grabbed a thing of Italian bread off the shelf. "I'm sure he knows, Mrs. Fortenberry," he replied evenly as he tossed the package into his hand-basket, moving towards the registers with Maxine in tow. In truth, Hoyt was enjoying his new-found independence from his mother. Things had gone so well with Jess over the summer that she had decided to transfer to LSU in Shreveport for her final year, prompting the young couple to get their own apartment together. Sookie had gotten quite the earful from the Fortenberry matriarch, Maxine firmly believing that Hoyt would never have moved out if Sookie hadn't brought Jess to town. "But I'll be sure to let him know when I see him next." Which would be that very evening when the couple stopped by for dinner, but Eric wasn't about to let Maxine know that. Lord knows, she'd drop by the house and never leave, if she found out her son was back in Bon Temps.

Maxine opened her mouth to say something else, but the sight of three police cars speeding past the front window of the Piggly-Wiggly had her shutting it just as quick. "Now what in tarnation would cause all of Bon Temps' finest to be out, do you wonder?" Eric shook his head as he emptied the contents of his basket onto the conveyor belt, giving Maudette Pickens a smile as she began to ring up his purchase. "Not a clue, Mrs. F. Now, if you don't mind…I've got the world's cutest blond, and his mother, waiting for me at home," he said with a warm smile as he paid for his order and grabbed his bag, giving the older woman a wave as he made his way towards the exit. _Nothing_ was going to ruin Eric Northman's mood today.

* * *

Sookie let out a sigh as she continued to wait in the long line at the bank, shifting Jacob to her other hip when she felt him start to squirm a little. "Sorry, little man. Didn't realize _everyone_ in Bon Temps would be doing their dang banking today," she grumbled under her breath, earning herself a glare from the older woman in front of her. Sookie bit her tongue as she in turn smiled sweetly at the woman, letting out another sigh as she subtly rested a hand on her stomach. At three months pregnant, she already had a bit of a baby bump showing up. Thankfully it was still warm enough out for flowy sun dresses, so those had become a staple in her wardrobe since the day she started showing a couple of weeks ago. How she'd managed to keep everything hidden from Eric so far, she'd never know.

Sookie had almost told Eric about her suspicions the day of Tara and Jason's wedding, but decided to wait until she'd gotten it confirmed by a doctor. For all she knew, it really _could_ have been the flu or something…no use getting Eric's hopes up until she knew for sure. She'd quickly made an appointment with an OB/GYN in Monroe that next week, away from the prying eyes of Bon Temps. Even though she'd suspected it, having the doctor confirm that she truly was pregnant still shocked the hell out of her. She'd been a ball of nervous energy on the drive home that day, barely able to focus as she made dinner and got Jacob ready for bed. She'd gone to bed early herself that night, gently waking once Eric eventually slipped in next to her and pulled her close. She'd almost told him right there once his hand naturally came to rest on her stomach, but something that the doctor had told her nagged at the back of her mind. While she led a fairly clean and low-stress life, the fact that she'd had to have a C-section for Jacob meant that the chance of complications early on were high. Her doctor was hesitant to say that Sookie had nothing to worry about, since she was just barely over a month in, so they decided to err on the side of caution and not assume she was out of the woods until the end of the first trimester.

So Sookie had kept the pregnancy a secret from Eric, with Tara being the only other soul aware. The fact that they led such opposite schedules most days helped keep Eric in the dark about her morning sickness, though that symptom thankfully didn't last for too long. But now here she was, minutes away from three uninterrupted nights with him and Jacob. When Eric had told her that he'd asked Pam to cover at _Fantasy so_ that he could have a few nights off, Sookie knew that weekend would be the perfect time to tell him.

"Now I just have to get through this dang line and actually get home sometime today," she grumbled to herself as she and Jacob shuffled forward, narrowing her eyes as the woman in front of her turned to glare once more. "For the love of all that's holy, Mrs. Norris, it's a million degrees in here! I've got a squirming child on my hip and another one that's causing my feet and back to ache like crazy. Forgive me if I'm _not_ the happiest person right now!" she snapped out, instantly slapping a hand over her mouth once the words had come tumbling out. Why in the world wasn't she able to save _anything_ for Eric to find out about first? She ran a hand through her hair in exasperation, pressing a kiss to Jacob's forehead before setting him down. "Cheese and rice. I'm sorry, Mrs. Norris. That was rude and completely uncalled for on my part," she started softly, wondering what she'd have to do in order to keep her from blabbing to any of the other DGD members at their meeting later that night. "Why don't you follow me back to the house for a nice glass of sweet tea once we finish up our business here?"

The sound of the door to the bank crashing open had everyone pausing in their actions, Sookie's blood running cold as she saw someone in a ski-mask standing in the entryway. She instinctively moved in front of Jacob, standing tall as she rested a hand on her stomach. She watched as the intruder took stock of the group that was in the bank, swallowing hard as he pulled a handgun out of their waistband. "This here is a stick up," the person said in the most stereotypical way, causing someone standing close to Sookie to snort.

"Sorry, Mack. Just forgot that Halloween was apparently coming early this year," a familiar voice said, causing Sookie to groan a little as she turned her head. "Really, Hoyt? Poking the bear, who has a gun, really isn't the best idea," she hissed out, her grip on Jacob tightening a little as she watched Mack shakily raise his weapon.

"Listen to the girl, Fortenberry, and get down on the ground," the now exposed Mack Rattray said as he pulled off his mask, though his voice was just as shaky as the hand that held his gun. "I really don't want to have to use this, but I will if you keep being stupid," he added, starting to move closer to the group that was near the end of the queue. "I don't want to hurt anyone, so just get on down and be quiet. Everyone!" he ordered as he slowly moved closer to the head of the line, his eyes flickering over the patrons as they began to move.

Sookie slowly got down on her knees, pulling Jacob into her arms and shielding him as best as she could. She was on the verge of tears at that moment, but knew that she needed to keep it together for Jacob. The chances of Mack Rattray even using that gun were slim, but she wasn't up for tempting fate. "God _Damnit_ , Hoyt Fortenberry! You better get your ass on this floor within the next two seconds, or I'm gonna tell your mama how stupid you're being," she hissed out, reaching up to tug Hoyt down to their level. "I love you dearly, but that deranged idiot has a gun," she whispered, looking up every-so-often as she heard Mack barking orders at the girl behind the teller window.

"I doubt that fool even loaded the damn thing correctly. And, besides…this is Louisiana, Sookie," Hoyt started quietly as he reached behind himself, slowly bringing the hand that now held his own gun back into view. " _Everyone_ has a gun," he finished as he slowly got to his feet, his eyes trained on Mack as sirens and slamming car doors could be heard outside.

Sookie pushed Jacob down on the ground as yelling started up, laying her body over his small one to shield him from any bullets that she feared might start flying. "It's going to be okay, baby," she murmured repeatedly as she heard her son start to cry, silently praying that her words didn't end up holding empty promises.

* * *

Eric's heart was nearly beating out of his chest by the time that he made it through the doors of the emergency room, barely able to stand on his shaky legs as he set his sights on the patient service rep that was behind the check-in desk. "My girlfriend and son were brought in by ambulance not too long ago. I need to get back there to see them," he demanded as he tried to catch his breath, the events of the past 30 minutes starting to catch up with him.

He'd been surprised when Jason's truck had pulled up to the house while he was starting to get dinner ready, knowing that their dinner plans that night had only involved Jess and Hoyt. The paleness of his friend's face as he spoke had caused Eric's blood to run cold, barely hearing Jason's yells as he ran out of the house and jumped into his car. He'd sped down the highway towards Shreveport far faster than he should have, but getting to Sookie and Jacob had been his only goal at that point.

"I'm sorry, sir, but visitors aren't being allowed in the trauma bays right now. We've got a situation back there and hospital policy says I can't allow anyone to go back there just yet," the young girl behind the desk informed Eric, the need to follow protocol trumping the panic that she could hear in his voice. "I'll be sure to let you know once you can go on back."

Eric opened his mouth to inform the girl just what he thought of the damn policy, but the sight of his father coming through the double doors caused him to change his path. "Dad! What's going on? All Jason could tell me was that there was an incident at the bank and that Sookie and Jacob were here. And now I'm being told that I can't go back there."

Godric smiled at the girl behind the desk, reaching over to grab a visitor pass before coming around to where Eric was. "It's okay, Amanda…I'll take him on back and keep a close eye on him," he told the girl, then wrapped an arm around Eric's shoulders and began to lead him in the direction of the trauma bays. "Sookie and Jacob are fine, Eric. There was an attempted robbery at the bank, and there were some injuries. But Sookie and Jacob are just fine, I promise," he stated as they stopped outside of one of the rooms, giving his son a small smile before he opened the door.

Sookie looked up from the book that she was reading with Jacob, her breath catching in her throat when she saw Eric standing there. "It's not as bad as it looks, I swear," she blurted out as she sat up quickly, wincing when the IV needle in her arm tugged at the skin a little. "It's just some fluids for possible dehydration," she added when she saw the look of apprehension on Eric's face, letting out a sigh when one of the monitors she was hooked up to begin to beep incessantly. "How about you go with Grandpa, baby. Maybe you guys can go find that ice cream machine in the cafeteria that Grandpa's been telling you about," she suggested as she laid the book down next to her, smiling as Jacob gave her a big hug before getting down from the bed.

Eric knelt down and pulled Jacob into his arms, holding him there for a few moments before letting him go. "Love you, little man," Eric murmured as he pressed a kiss to the top of his son's head, waiting until Jacob left the room with Godric before turning back towards Sookie. "How bad is 'it's not as bad as it looks'? Because this looks _pretty_ bad to me, Sookie," he said as he gestured to all of the monitors that she was hooked up to, not waiting for her to answer before climbing into the bed next to her.

Sookie sighed as she curled up against Eric's body, a sense of calm washing over her as she buried her face against his chest. She soon launched into the tale of her afternoon at the bank, and of how Mack Rattray, Hoyt Fortenberry, and the entire Bon Temps Police Department had ended up exchanging gunfire. "Hoyt got hit in his arm, but they said that it's not life-threatening or anything. Hopefully Maxine doesn't find some way to blame Jess, since Hoyt was there to deposit a check for her," Sookie mentioned, then paused as she heard Eric sigh. There was no doubt that she was stalling telling him the reason for her hospital visit, but it truly was now or never. "I was walking out with Jacob, once everything died down, and twisted my damn ankle on a rock. The EMT's checked me out and said I was fine…but then Mrs. Norris had to go and say something about me possibly being pregnant. They insisted I come in for observation, after hearing that," she finally admitted in a jumble of words, feeling like she'd finally ripped off a two-month old Band-Aid. "I tried to call you…but your phone must've been dead, which is why we sent Jason to tell you."

Eric was silent for a few moments, trying to process Sookie's words. He looked around the room a little, his eyes settling on one of the monitors that was tracking Sookie's blood pressure and other vitals. "Why…why on earth would Mrs. Norris tell the EMT's that you might be pregnant?" he asked softly, his eyes watching one section of the monitor that seemed to be moving faster than the others.

Sookie's eyes followed Eric's, a small smile coming to her face as she recognized the section of the monitor that was for the fetal heartrate. "Because, in a moment of being tired and frustrated with the heat, I may have let it slip that I was," she whispered in reply, her eyes moving to focus on Eric's face. She saw the moment her words sunk in, his jaw slackening a little as he turned his head to look at her. She watched as he opened and closed his mouth a few times, tears coming to her eyes as she observed him struggling for something to say. "This wasn't how I wanted you to find out, Eric. I'm so sorry…I was going to tell you this weekend."

When Eric did nothing but rest his forehead against hers, Sookie continued with her nervous rambling. "I wanted to tell you as soon as I'd gotten it confirmed, but the doctor said there could be some complications since I'd had the C-section with Jacob. And I just didn't want to get your hopes up, if this pregnancy wasn't going to stick," she whispered, pulling back so that she could look at him more clearly. "I didn't want you to miss out on anything with this one, but I also didn't want to cause you anymore hurt that I already have. So I made the choice to wait until I got past the three-month mark before telling you."

Eric looked at Sookie through blurry eyes, barely able to keep his own tears from falling as he processed her words. " _Three_ months, Sookie? How the hell can you be three months pregnant?" he asked in disbelief as he peeled back the hospital blanket, his eyes growing big as Sookie lifted her hospital gown and exposed her stomach. He could just barely make out the small curve of her growing baby bump, tentatively reaching out a hand to rest on it. "But that would mean…"

"That you have super-human sperm and we need to rethink our birth control options in the future?" Sookie finished with a small snort, resting her own hand atop the one on her stomach. "Believe me…the irony of me getting pregnant both of our 'first' times was not lost on me," she added with a shaky laugh, shifting a little as she began to grow uncomfortable with Eric's silence. "Talk to me…what are you thinking?" she finally asked after a few grueling moments, her eyes searching his face for some sort of clue into what he was feeling at that moment.

Eric let out a shaky laugh of his own as he rested his free hand on Sookie's cheek, dipping his head to press his lips to hers. His mind was spinning with the information that she'd just given him, but he honestly felt nothing but pure joy at her news. "I was thinking that it's a good thing I was already planning to bust this out this weekend…wouldn't want you thinking it's just because of this moment," he told her as he brought his hand down to reach into his pocket, a goofy grin on his face as he held up an emerald and diamond ring for her to see. "But, since it's been burning a hole in my pocket for four years now, this moment is just as good as tomorrow night."

It was Sookie's turn to be speechless for a few moments, her eyes flickering back and forth from Eric's face to the ring that he held. "What the hell is that, Eric Northman?" she asked shakily, her heart beating fast as she searched his face for answers. "I just told you that I'm pregnant, and that I've been keeping it a secret from you, and your response is to propose to me?" she hissed out in disbelief, unable to help the tears that began to fall.

Eric couldn't help but chuckle as he reached a hand up to brush away the tears from Sookie's cheeks, a warm smile coming to his face as he gazed down at her. "If I've learned anything these past four years, it's that you'll always do what's in the best interest for those that you love. I am a little upset that I've most likely missed a couple of appointments, but I know there will be more. And I know that we've just found each other again…but that doesn't change the fact that I am hopelessly in love with you, Sookie Stackhouse, and I have been since before I can remember," he murmured, taking her left hand in his. "Nothing would make me happier than to have the mother of my children also be my wife. So, what do you say, Sunshine…marry me?"

* * *

 **A/N: And that, with the exception of the pending epilogue, is the last chapter of this little journey! Sorry for leaving you guys hanging there, but I'm sure you have hunch as to which way her answer will go ;-) Thank you so much for reading, everyone! Until next time!**


	10. Epilogue

**A/N: As always, I own nothing TB or SVM related. Enjoy!**

* * *

"I swear to God, Eric Northman! If you are not here within the next ten minutes, you can bet your gorgeous ass that you'll be sleeping on the couch for the near future," Sookie bit out before ending the call, tossing her cellphone onto the nearby table right as another wave of pain rolled through her. "'I'll get a vasectomy, Sookie,' he says. 'It'll be better than them opening you up again,' he says. 'Let _me_ be the one in pain, for once,' he says. Well…at least _my_ way would've been more permanent, apparently!" she griped to the only other person in the room, squeezing their hand tightly as she tried to keep from crying out in pain. "Ten years was about how long _his_ great idea lasted. Stupid super human sperm. He is _never_ touching me again."

"Christ on a crutch, Ma. You know I know better than whatever 'where babies come from' crap you and Dad have been feeding Emily, but can we _please_ not talk about anything that involves you and Dad doing…that," Jacob pleaded with a small grimace, his face flush with embarrassment as he focused his eyes on the monitor that was tracking Sookie's contractions. It was bad enough that he'd overheard his parents more than once over the past twelve years, but _no_ fifteen-year-old boy on the face of the planet wanted to outright talk about sex with their mother. "I'm sure Dad'll be here soon."

Sookie let out a small snort, letting her head drop back against her pillow as she forced herself to do some of her Lamaze breathing. "He better be. Lord knows what's about to go down is _not_ something you want to witness, but I am _not_ going in there alone," she said through clenched teeth, looking over at her phone as if willing it to ring. "Remind me again why he just _had_ to go and take your sister to the zoo in Monroe today?"

It was Jacob's turn to let out a snort, reaching up to gently wipe away some sweat from Sookie's forehead with a towel. "Because Emily's got him double-wrapped around her finger, maybe? You know that kid could get away with murder when it comes to Dad," he added, without a hint of spite in his tone. While Eric had been involved with Sookie's pregnancy almost entirely the second time around, Jacob had never felt slighted in the least. He'd always felt that his parents had done a great job with making sure that attention was given equally to their children over the years, especially given the fact that their birthdays were so close together. "Besides…your appointment wasn't for another week and a half, Ma, and he just wanted to get her out of your hair for a couple of hours. Clearly, impatientness runs in us Northman kids," he added with a grin, letting out a laugh as Sookie gave him a death glare and dropped her head back against her pillow.

"No running in my hallways, Northman! Once I find your father, you can bet I'm going to give him a piece of my mind!" Yelling could be distantly heard from down the hallway, the smacking sound of shoes frantically hitting the tile causing both Sookie and Jacob to roll their eyes in exasperation. "Emily Adele Northman! For the love of all that's holy, you better not-" Sookie cut herself off mid-yell as a panting figure slid into the room, tilting her head a little as she raised a brow. " _Really_?"

"I _told_ him that he needed to slow down, but what do _I_ know?" Emily asked as she entered the room, the eleven-year-old snickering a little as she passed her winded-looking father. "Told him he was too old to be running marathons like that," she added with an innocent little grin, moving to curl up on the bed next to her mother. "May be time to trade that one in for a younger model, Mama."

Eric glanced up from his hunched over position as both Sookie and Jacob burst into laughter, eyes narrowing as he glanced over at his daughter. "Never again am I leaving you alone with your Aunt Pam or Uncle Jason," he grumbled a little as he straightened up, knowing full well his daughter's smartassness came from spending far too much time with his sister and Sookie's brother. "And for the record, I can _still_ run laps around you and your brother any day of the week," he added with a small wink, crossing the room to brush his lips against Sookie's. "How are you feeling? I swear we left the moment Jacob called, but then I-20 was a parking lot and we had to take some detours. And then my phone died, which is _actually_ a good case for getting Em her own."

Sookie smiled as Eric pressed another kiss to her forehead, scooting over slightly so that there was also room for him on the bed. "I'll be better once your mutant spawn is out of me, but I'm doing okay. Jacob kept his cool, even though I'm sure the mere mention of my water breaking has probably scarred him for life. But, hey! He got some highway driving practice in," she said with a small laugh as she wrapped an arm around her daughter, smiling at her son as he settled down at the foot of her bed. "You made it just time. The doctor was planning to stop in soon with the good drugs. They wanted to haul me in about an hour ago, but I managed to be granted a stay of execution until you got here or I started dilating even more. And with the way these contractions have been feeling, I'm fairly certain dilatation has been happening."

"And I think that just may be our cue to go hunt down your doctor and then go give the various relatives a call. No one wants to hear about your dilation or anything else that's going on down there," Jacob said with a small shudder as he got to his feet, leaning down to gently kiss Sookie's cheek. "I love you, Mama," he murmured, a small smile coming to his face when he saw the tears start to well in his mother's eyes. It wasn't often that he used that name for her anymore, but he wasn't afraid to say his own nerves caused him to feel like a child in that moment. He knew the familiarity of the name would bring some calm to them both throughout all of the stress. "C'mon, pipsqueak. I bet we can swipe some good snacks from the Doctors' Lounge," he said as he hauled Emily off the bed and over his shoulder, pausing to let his giggling sister kiss their mother as well. "I'll make sure she stays out of trouble," he added as he bent to give his dad a small hug, his grip tightening on his sister's legs as she began to squirm.

"Love you, my babies," Sookie said with a smile as she watched Jacob lug Emily out of the room, settling back on the bed as Eric snuggled closer and rested a hand on her stomach. "How did we get so lucky to have two great kids?" she asked, then let out a sigh as nurses entered the room to prep her for her surgery. "I don't want to mess with our odds, you know? Maybe we should just skip this round."

Eric let out a snort as he got out of the way of the anesthesiologist, bending down to give Sookie a firm kiss before stepping back. "I think it's a little late for that at this point," he murmured as he brushed hair out of her eyes, holding her hand tightly once she was rolled on her side to have the epidural placed. "It's game time, Sunshine."

* * *

"He's so tiny! Was I ever this small?"

Eric let out a small chuckle as he shifted a little in his seat, his arms wrapped around Emily as he helped her cradle the bundle in her arms. "Not quite, Em. You definitely were on the bigger side," he told her with a smile, remembering the day that she'd been born. Just like Jacob, Emily had been close to ten pounds and tall in length. " _But_ if you combine Joshua with Elizabeth, then they'd be just about as big as you were."

Sookie snorted softly as she listened to Eric explain things to Emily, a huge smile on her face as she glanced over at where Jacob sat holding his newest sister. If getting pregnant ten years after Eric's vasectomy hadn't been surprise enough, Sookie's OB/GYN pointing out during their 8-week appointment that they were having twins had nearly caused them both to faint. "I think it's safe to say that I'm going to be the odd-man out in this family, in terms of height," Sookie grumbled under her breath, though her eyes danced with happiness as she spoke. A knock at the door caused everyone to look in that direction, Sookie's face lighting up in delight when she saw who was standing there. "Well, if it isn't Mr. Chief of Pediatrics himself!"

Godric leaned against the doorway, arms crossed over his chest as he took in the sight before him. "You would think that running the department would allow me to do what I wanted, but apparently board meetings are a can't-miss," he replied with a small eye roll, moving forward to give Sookie a kiss on her forehead. "How's my girl doing? Everything go okay?"

Sookie nodded as she pulled Godric down for a hug, wincing a little once they pulled away from each other and she sat up a little more. "A bit sore, which is to be expected, but everything went perfectly. You run a tight ship here," she said with a smile, recalling how attentive all of the hospital staff had been so far. "And while I regret to inform you that our branch of the Northman-making factory is officially closed, there _are_ the two newest members that I'd like to introduce you to." She motioned for Jacob to come over, watching as her oldest child carefully carried over her youngest. "This little darling is Elizabeth Michelle," she murmured, watching as Jacob gently transferred the baby into Godric's arms.

Eric extracted himself from around Emily, taking Joshua into his own arms and moving closer to where Godric stood. "And this little fella is her _slightly_ older brother, Joshua Godric," he murmured, watching the many emotions that passed through his father's eyes with that announcement. He wrapped his free arm around Godric's shoulders, pulling him into a small hug as they both looked down at the babies they held.

Godric could barely find the words to express how honored he was at the name choice, hugging Eric a little tighter to him as he gazed down at the two newest additions to his family. "Once he's old enough for roll calls in school, he'll be thanking you for making that the _middle_ name," he joked with a small laugh as tears of joy pricked at the corners of his eyes, lifting his gaze after a few moments to share a warm smile with Sookie. "I can see a lot of you in their faces already."

"Thank _God_!" Sookie replied with a chuckle, turning her head to look at her older children. "No offense, kiddos, but maybe people will _finally_ stop thinking I'm the nanny when I'm out and about. I think I found my new favorites," she teased with a wink, then let out a groan as there was a knock on the door. "That must be the lactation police," she grumbled as she sat up a little more in bed, plastering on a fake smile as a nurse came into the room. Even though she'd successfully breastfed two children, the hospital had a policy that all mothers had to go through a bit of a training session before they were allowed to do it on their own. "Why don't you guys go hit up the cafeteria with Grandpa? Definitely nothing you want to see here," she said as she reached out to take Elizabeth from Godric, rolling her eyes as Jacob practically ran from the room with Emily in tow. "Usually I'd say not too much sugar, but they've been good kids today…and _you're_ watching them tonight."

Godric let out a laugh before bending to press a kiss to Sookie's forehead, brushing a hand over Elizabeth's head as he straightened. "If they get to be too much, I'll just send them to Pam's for the night. A little payback for the time she once tried to see how many sugar packets she could eat in an hour," he said with a wink, moving to give Eric another hug. "I'll have them back up in a couple of hours or so to say goodnight, unless you come looking for them sooner," he added as he also brushed a hand over Joshua's head, giving Eric and Sookie one last warm smile before leaving the room.

Eric settled down onto the bed next to Sookie as the nurse rolled over a cart that held a breast pump and other breastfeeding aids, letting out a shudder as he shifted Joshua to one side and took Elizabeth into his free arm. "I always forget how much that pump looks like a torture device. Better you than me," he muttered as he pressed a kiss to Sookie's temple, giving her a cheeky grin before quieting down as the nurse began to talk.

* * *

"So…remind me again just how it was that _Jacob_ was the one to drive you?"

Sookie let out a small laugh as she rested her head against Eric's shoulder, smiling as she watched the twins sleep in their bassinettes. "Jason and Hoyt were out at a jobsite in Hot Shot, which meant neither of them had any cell reception, and Jess and Tara were at the movies with their girls. I wasn't going to wait around for an ambulance, so that left Jacob." She paused as Elizabeth begin to stir, both adults holding their breath until the tiny girl settled back into a peaceful sleep. "I _almost_ went over and begged Bill for a ride, but Jacob came up with the even better idea of letting _him_ drive me."

"He's definitely a smart kid, that one," Eric answered with a small sigh, shaking his head a little. Every-so-often Bill Compton found a way to randomly turn up in their lives, still carrying the torch that he'd once held for Sookie. If he had been the one to drive Sookie to the hospital, it was safe to bet that Bill would've tried to have found a way to burrow himself back into their lives. "I'll keep that in mind next time our son does something that pushes my buttons," he added with a smile, turning his head to kiss Sookie's forehead. It wasn't lost on him that his firstborn was growing up fast, nor was he oblivious to the fact that Jacob was _his_ son through and through. To say that Jacob was starting to attract female attention would be an understatement. "Why can't the kids just stay tiny and unaware of the big, bad world?"

Sookie snorted a little, wincing as she saw Joshua start at the sound. "Because they need to fall down at least once or twice before they can finally figure out who they are," she murmured, smiling warmly at Eric. "I like to think we've given Jacob and Emily a good idea of how to live life and be happy, though."

Like most relationships, Sookie and Eric's had had its share of ups and downs. One of the biggest downs, though, had been when they'd gotten news five years ago that Salome had been killed in a car accident in Sweden. Sookie had tried to comfort Eric once he'd gotten off the phone with Godric, but he'd instantly shut down and refused to even talk to her. Deciding to let him have some time to himself, she'd thrown herself into figuring out logistics. Salome's parents wanted to have the services in Stockholm, so that meant booking flights and figuring out what to do with Jacob and Emily.

When she'd finally gotten him to talk to her later that night, the look on Eric's face as he spoke had nearly broken Sookie's heart. While Salome was the reason behind Eric losing out on years with Sookie and Jacob, something that he would never be able to forgive her for…she was still his mother. He was torn by the emotions that he had, afraid that the sadness that he felt would cause Sookie to think he was betraying her somehow.

It had taken a lot of talking, along with some arguing, before Sookie had been able to convince Eric that feeling sad about Salome dying was an okay emotion. There had been those first twenty-five years of Eric's life, before he'd found out that she was the cause of his four years of unhappiness, where Salome had been a big part of his life. While her ways of mothering weren't the most conventional, she had contributed to the man that Eric had grown into. And while Sookie would never, even now after her death, be able to forgive Salome for what she had done, she was still grateful to the woman that had given her the man beside her.

So with that, Sookie had managed to convince Eric to make the trip to Sweden with Godric and Pam. While he'd initially begged her to go with him, she'd gotten him to see that this was something that he needed to do with just his father and sister. They'd returned home after a week, all three looking like a large weight had been lifted from their shoulders. Sookie never pressed Eric for details of the trip, wanting him to tell her when he was ready, though Pam eventually let slip that there had been some therapeutic yelling done at Salome's burial plot by all three of them. It seemed like the closure they all desperately needed had been found.

"I can hear the gears turning in your head, Sunshine. What are you thinking so hard about over there?" Eric asked after Sookie had been quiet for some time, pressing a kiss to the top of her head as he trailed his fingers up and her arm. He'd actually thought she'd fallen asleep, which would have been completely understandable, but then he'd felt her sit up a little.

"Just about how I'm the luckiest girl in the world," Sookie replied softly, tilting her head up to give Eric a small kiss. "Did you ever think that helping Jason beat on JB du Rone would eventually lead us to here?" she asked, then let out a groan as Elizabeth began to fuss. "And not just the four kids thing, just us in general," she added, gingerly starting to get up

"I got her," Eric said with a smile as he shifted off the bed, leaning down to give Sookie another warm kiss. "You just rest," he murmured, then moved to tend to his crying daughter. After a short inspection, Eric realized that Elizabeth needed a diaper change, so he started to go through the motions of that. Once he'd finished his task and passed Elizabeth to Sookie, he turned his attentions towards a now-awake Joshua. "And to answer your question…this wasn't at all what the ten-year old me was thinking when I stepped in to help Jason, but it sure as hell is better than anything I could have imagined. Once I started to get older, though? I knew I wanted to do anything I could to keep you by my side," Eric said with a smile as he worked on his son's diaper, bringing Joshua over to the bed with him once he was done. "Which reminds me…I do believe I have something of yours," he added once they were all settled on the bed together, reaching his free hand into the pocket of his jeans. "Give me your hand."

Sookie gently shifted Elizabeth to her other arm, freeing up her left hand for Eric to slide on her wedding band and engagement ring. "Everything feels _almost_ back to normal now," she said with a small laugh, tilting her head up to give Eric a kiss. After wearing the rings together for ten years, going several hours without them made her feel naked up until this point. "Would it be bad if we called your dad and asked him to sneak Jacob and Emily in? I'm probably insane, but I miss those two goobers."

Eric shook his head with a chuckle, leaning over to grab his phone off the bedside table. "Honestly? I'm surprised you let them even leave the hospital," he answered as he dialed, letting out a laugh as Sookie smacked his arm. Within a half an hour Jacob and Emily were back in the room, and set up on some cots that one of the nurses had located. Eric was settling Elizabeth back into her bassinet next to Joshua's when he heard Sookie make a sound, a look of concern on his face as he turned to glance at her. "Everything okay?"

Sookie nodded her head as she wiped at some tears, smiling warmly as she watched Eric quietly make his way back to the bed. "Just happy, you know? Sixteen years ago, I didn't know if I'd ever see you again…and now we've got four amazing children and the best life I could've asked for. Thank you for loving me, Mr. Northman," she murmured, resting her head against his shoulder after he wrapped an arm around her.

Eric pressed a kiss to the top of Sookie's head as he held her close, then tilted her head back so he could give her a kiss that curled both of their toes a little. "I can't imagine anyone else I'd want to be with right now. Thank you for loving _me_ , Mrs. Northman," he answered softly, then settled back against the bed with her. Laying there next to his wife as his two youngest children slept and his oldest ones quietly bickered over a video game they were playing on their iPad, he couldn't help but be thankful for their second chance to begin again.

* * *

 **A/N: And that, my friends, is the end of the line on this one! Thank you so much to each and every one of you for reading/following/reviewing. It has been a joy sharing this story with you :-) And a super extra big thanks to the amazing _Asrailefay_ for being my beta/cheerleader on this. It's safe to say that some of these chapters wouldn't have gotten out, if it wasn't for her feedback and motivation :-)**

 **Now it's time to focus on getting the next chapter of _Night_ _One_ out. There are some other projects on the back-burner as well, so I promise you haven't heard the last of me :-P Until next time! **


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